Definitely, Maybe
by gangstapenguinduck lover
Summary: Canon Pairings. Bella Swan attempts to keep something vital from agent Edward Cullen. The only problem is, she might be falling for him while she does just that. On hiatus/reworking.
1. Motion

* * *

_Action is eloquence._

_-William Shakespear_  
_Greatest English dramatist & poet (1564 - 1616)_

.

_Soundtrack: (Good Girl, Bad Boy; Junior Senior.)_

* * *

Prologue:

When you're going to a boarding school that has the capacity of over half the United States Military, word gets around. Therefore, when you're sitting quietly trying to read a book, and look up to discover that all eyes are trained curiously on you, you know that you did something to start gossip.

The only question was…

What'd I do this time?

--

The hallways were the same beige color that they had been our entire lives—well, ever since they built it anyway. The school was over a hundred years old, the walls covered with recommendations and approval worthy notices saying that the school was one of the best—which it was, in its own odd way.

Students were milling about, not as eager as I was to make it to my room. I just wanted to sleep. After a rather boring summer spent with my father in Forks, I really didn't look forward to the interrogation that I was most likely going to go through if I were to stay outside of the dorms.

So, shuffling past familiar faces and new ones, I located the recognizable room in the middle of the hall, and gratefully turned the knob to find it already unlocked. I stepped inside, shutting the door with my foot which acted as a barrier to the loud voices right down the hall.

Sighing contentedly, I turned to find that the room was the same as I had left it last year—the two queen size beds were situated across the room from each other, each pushed against an opposite wall with a small nightstand complimenting each. Directly in front of me was a large, wide window, the curtains drawn back letting in the afternoon light that spilled across the Kelly green carpet.

Apparently my roommate had already been here—her bed was ruffled, the sheets pulled back and indented upon as though someone had recently been in it. Of course the rather noteworthy posters were already plastered up against her side of the wall, making my own look boring and insubstantial. I rolled my eyes; Rosalie would be Rosalie.

Placing my heavy luggage onto the downy comforter, I looked around for the little nuisance of a friend—and that's when the bathroom door opened, and a half naked jock walked right into the middle of the room.

"Holy crap!" I shrieked, covering my eyes and turning around. Though he was in a towel, I certainly didn't expect that Rosalie would get busy this early; the school year hadn't even started yet for crying out loud!

"Oh, wow, sorry. Didn't know that anyone was in here," he mumbled in a deep resonating voice that sounded gravelly, even to me. I heard some shuffling, and then Rosalie's smooth voice rang out from the direction the guy had just come from.

"Hey, Brad, could you toss me my bra?"

Ew. I didn't even want to _know _why she was missing that article of clothing. When he didn't respond, she must have peeked out to see what was taking him so long and I heard her shriek as clearly as I could hear my own labored breathing.

"OH MY GOD!"

Deciding that I had had enough action for one day, I grabbed my saddle bag and, calling out to Rosalie, grabbed my key and opened the door.

"Hey, Rose, sorry to interrupt, I'll be back in a few hours!" And I high-tailed it out of there.

As soon as I was out the door, my chest deflated in relief and I found my feet immediately walking toward the administrative building. I wasn't exactly the most graceful of people, so when I found myself tripping over a certain boy, I couldn't help but internally groan.

"Hello, Bella!" Tyler's eager expression made me want to run away. He was a nice kid around me—but it didn't take a lot of brains to know that he wasn't exactly the epitome of innocence. There were rumors—and then there were also facts. And facts had proven that although Tyler was altogether good-looking and not a total dork, he was _not _someone I wanted to get involved with.

"Hey, Tyler," I replied, straightening myself out as he helped me up with one hand.

"Clumsy as ever, I see," he joked, casually slinging a hand around my shoulder as though we were the best of friends. I smiled innocently at him, and managed to shrug out from under his arm without him noticing.

"Yeah, well, I was actually headed to see Mr. Marks, so I guess I'll see you around," I got out, my voice sounded oddly calm, even to me although I was shaking inside.

"Yeah, definitely!" His face portrayed the eager anticipation that I had just instilled in him. Great. I hadn't meant him to take it so literally. Keeping on my fake smile, I turned on my heel and strode even more quickly away from him, dropping the mask as I made it around the corner.

The buildings surrounding the main school were just as glamorous, if not even more so. They were designed in the eighteen-hundreds by Spanish officials who had once used these buildings as monasteries. The teachers had been teaching us about the history of the school since I had arrived here, and it never ceased to amaze me. Although we hadn't yet learned how us Americans had gotten such things in our possession, I mused that it must have taken a lot of bribing and a lot of money.

The stone arches above me were intricately carved with designs that must have once held some important meaning, but now simply served the purpose of being beautiful. I pulled on the glass door, the handle feeling slick under my dry skin (no doubt having been polished seconds before). As soon as the door closed behind me, the air conditioner immediately kicked back on, and I was met by a welcome breeze that ruffled my hair lightly as I stepped toward the receptionist's desk.

It was a large waiting room, chairs lined perfectly against each wall with comfortable cushions balanced on top of them. The carpet was an off color tone that was meant to relax, but instantly made me tense, because I knew the reason that people were supposed to be relaxed in here—not suspicious.

The woman manning the desk at that moment was very business-like, wearing a bright red jacket with a zebra print scarf that hung limply around her neck, matching the black skirt that hung just off her knees as she stood, shuffling through important paper work.

Once she heard my approach however, she looked up, her hair moving awkwardly to the side on its high perch on top of her head.

"Can I help you?" she asked quietly, as though we were under surveillance—which we pretty much were, now that I thought of it.

"Yes, I'm here to see Marks," I answered a little louder than she had. She nodded, her hair rhythmically bobbing with the motion, and I stifled a laugh as it looked like it was about to fall over. Wonder who her hair styler was.

But instead of immediately admitting me through the other pair of double glass doors like the other assistants did, she picked up the shiny black phone in front of her, pressing one with a well-manicured hand and waited impatiently for someone to pick up on the other line.

"You have someone here to see you." I could read her lips as they moved ever so quietly against the mouth piece, as though she didn't want me in on some private conversation.

I smirked. If only she knew the things that I was capable of knowing.

She set the phone down, her heavily lidded eyes drooping slightly as she gazed at me. I kept my expression carefully blank as she made her assessment, her lips pursing unhappily.

"You may go in to see him now," she finally answered, turning away from me to copy something on a scanner.

I nodded and swiftly made my way toward his office, not looking forward to whatever message he needed to give me. It was just another school year—but he had promised that this year could be normal for me. I had waited and endured the time that my Junior year would come, when I would finally get a break from all the madness and security that my job entailed—but now that he was calling on me, _again_, I realized that this sort of life didn't have a break.

The well polished wood door taunted me as I stared at it, deliberating on whether or not I should really go in and take whatever assignment he'd already promised to give me. With a sigh, I turned to walk away, having decided I didn't want this, but his voice stopped me as he chuckled.

"Come on in, Bella. You know that you're dying of curiosity anyways."

Why did he always get me like that? He always knew what I was thinking—it was so unfair. Not simply because he was the whole director of the agency and I was madly jealous that I wasn't even his assistant on certain missions, but because he wouldn't even allow me the proper respect of declining one when I so desperately needed to.

The door opened before I could even touch it, and he sat smirking at me behind his large mahogany desk, reflecting his pale blond hair. The name plate in front of him read, _Carlisle Marks_, but I knew better. It was actually hilarious that he had chosen something as 'inconspicuous' as _Marks _as his last name.

Carlisle Cullen had married and become the father of a beautiful baby boy when he was reinstated back into the CIA. Wanting to protect his newly formed family, he left them behind to do his job. His story made me sad, but he had very subtly informed me that he had his ways of communicating with them, though not even his superiors knew this fact.

I felt smug when I had first learned that he had confided this information with me only, but I guess he actually had a reason in doing so.

"Carlisle," I acknowledged as I stepped around the massively large and grand black leather chairs that were situated in front of him.

He grinned, and leaned back further, toying with a simple pen, moving it back and forth between his pale fingers.

"Ah, Bella. You never cease to amaze me with your resistance."

I winced at him, and resisted the urge to stick my tongue out. He was infuriating at times, though he acted as a rather imposing father-figure in my life. Our relationship was an odd one; we bantered like old friends though he was a decade older at the least, but at other times he was there to comfort me when I needed help.

I had a seriously messed up life.

"Whatever. So what's up?" I asked, wondering what odd job he had for me this year. Every year it was something different—just last semester at school, I had to try and stop a bomb from going off just fifty yards of the vice president at a Presidential Debate. It wasn't as fun as it sounds.

He grimaced, though he knew that I wanted to get straight to the point. I was sufficiently irritated that I really wouldn't be able to enjoy a normal life for once—and I had to lie, _again_, this year so that I wouldn't be a target if I was found out. Rosalie was really the only person that understood and knew about my situation—but this was only because she was in on the whole thing. She didn't deal in Covert Operations as I did, but she definitely did an important job.

Rosalie was gorgeous to say the least. She could get any guy with the snap of her fingers, and yet she preferred to work behind the scenes. She dealt with computer mechanics, hacking, and being able to get me an ID that stated I was twenty one within five minutes flat. And since she was the only five year old in existence to have ever cracked a NASA authorization code, it was easy for her parents to decide to send her here.

"Well…I need you to keep an eye out for quite a few people this year," he admitted as I finally sat down in the plush chairs, tired of standing. I raised my eyebrow at him.

He sighed in defeat and went on. "They were all sent here from other schools, but they're after…" he trailed off, but I wasn't sure if he hesitated because he couldn't tell me, or if because he seriously didn't know.

"At any point, they will be attending the school, and I want you to stick close to them, find out how they're trying to get what they need to get." His tone was serious and demanding, but there was immense hurt buried deep in his eyes, pleading somewhere under his voice. It made me cautious—and curious. Nothing I had ever known had done this to Carlisle except…

"Here is all the information you'll need, as well as their schedules and yours. And please, try not to make anything too obvious," he pleaded.

I snorted, though I knew that I had had a few slip ups in the past. I was very vulnerable toward guys my age, so when I underwent a test that Carlisle had authorized, I utterly failed because the kid was charming. It hadn't happened since then.

I delicately picked up the three folders that he had slapped down in front of me, just as he turned in his chair and pushed back a door-like piece of the wall, revealing monitors of all shapes and sizes, surveying the ground, the hallways, the staff…

I looked down at the first file and pulled back the beige colored flap and stared right at a stunning girl, who was my age with cropped black hair that was gelled into spikes going in all different directions. She had lightly tanned skin, though her complexion was more of a pale color, more so than mine. I looked past her birth date, her relationships, height, weight, and her social security number to her full name.

_Mary Alice Brandon, more commonly referred to by Alice._

Interesting that she would take her original name and use it during her time as an agent.

I moved on to the next folder which I almost gasped in surprise when I saw the face. The boy was extremely older looking with short black hair, though that didn't defer from the definition of his muscles once I saw them. He looked like he could be in college.

Once again, I looked past all of the prudent information, and saw his full name.

_Emmett Dale McCarty._

I looked back up to Carlisle before I opened the next file. He was studying the monitor that was watching the boys' hallways very closely, obviously looking for someone in specific.

"Carlisle?" I called gently, bringing him out of his reverie as he smiled and turned to me with sad eyes. I felt bad for interrupting him, but this was important.

"Are they all…from the same place? Or were they each sent here separately, also competing against each other to get…whatever it is?"

He frowned at my question and I got the impression that he had been trying to avoid this topic. I couldn't fathom why, it would be even better either way. If they were altogether, I wouldn't have to deal with being seen with one of them and be under scrutiny by the other. If they weren't together, they would compete with each other by themselves, and I would simply have to stir up some dust to make them fight and reveal themselves, abruptly ending their mission.

It was simple.

So why was Carlisle so concerned?

"Alice and Emmett _are_ together but…" Once again he didn't fully answer my question, just stared unseeingly at the wall. I finally looked down to the last person in my hands.

He was beautiful, I couldn't deny him that.

His eyes immediately drew my attention, their brilliant lush color as they stared mockingly at me from the photo. I shuddered—I didn't need something like a distraction during this. His hair was a vibrant color, dancing on the fine line of maroon and copper, an odd mix, but making him all the more handsome as the shadows that played across his face defined his jaw and neck muscles.

I looked away from the angelic boy to his name and age.

_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen._

_Born June 20, 1991._

Shocked, my head snapped up to stare at the back of Carlisle's head. It couldn't be…

"My son."

He spoke before it registered in my mind why he had been like this the entire time I had shown up. I had to make sure that his son didn't get his hands on whatever he wanted. I had to make sure that his son didn't know anything about what, and who I was. I had to possibly…seduce his son.

And he knew that.

But he was going to see his son for the first time since he'd left him, and he probably couldn't even tell him who he was. In this predicament, his son was the enemy, and he couldn't let him win… and then another thought occurred to me.

"Does Elizabeth know that he's…?" I didn't have to finish my sentence.

"Yes."

I inhaled deeply only to let it out again and rise from my seated position, tucking the files into my bag, away from the prying eye.

"How long?" He knew what I was asking.

"They're already here."

* * *

_ The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart._

_-Saint Jerome__  
church father & saint (374 AD - 419 AD)_

* * *

Prologue:

Sometimes, when you're forced to do something that you don't really want to do, it makes it even worse than it really is.

I hadn't wanted to be here in the first place, but suddenly I knew that it was somehow pertinent to how I would end up in the future. When you had to do something that could hurt someone you truly loved, it tore you up inside.

People who were left in the past were suddenly appearing again, and it ached even more painfully to know that they would fully understand if I went ahead with my plan.

Sometimes I just couldn't win.

--

The limousine was impossibly grand and impeccably conspicuous. I wouldn't be surprised if some random kid who didn't have enough brains to pass Trig figured out that I wasn't an average student.

I ran a hand swiftly through my hair, agitated.

The soft chuckle across the seat from me made me shift my gaze upward, glaring at the woman in front of me.

"What?" I snapped.

"You're so cute when you're irritated," she explained.

I scowled at her, ignoring the subtle hint that she was trying to give me. Tanya was always after me, ever since I had been recruited into this business. Of course I didn't share her feelings, but I couldn't exactly tell her off every time her remarks got on my nerves—she was my superior. This obviously aggravated me to no end, and she knew this as well.

"Here is all of the information that you're going to need."

She handed me two folders, keeping one specifically located on her lap. I hope she wasn't thinking I was going to try and go for that childish trick—I would wait until she decided to give it to me.

I opened them simultaneously, glancing at the faces on the sheets of starch white paper. A girl and a boy, both different ages but both were working for the same company, the same reason.

The girl could have been my twin despite the blue eyes, her hair swiftly cut into a fashion that would stand out in this area. The boy was intimidating, not just his muscles and weight proved this fact. I traced over their names and birth dates, their schedules, anything that could be of use to what I really needed to know.

Once I had finished, I waited impatiently for the last folder. Tanya smiled what I assumed was supposed to be a seductive leer, but came off looking an awful like an animal eyeing it's prey and scared the crap out of me. Tentatively smiling back, trying to be nice for once but only as a ploy to get what I wanted, I held my hand out for the information she held.

Pleased that she had gotten a response out of me, she stretched across the aisle as the limo pulled through rather large gates and bumped over the speed bump. It was obvious that Tanya was leaning too far over, giving me full exposure to the kind of bra that she was wearing, but I didn't notice as I eagerly took the folder and opened it quickly.

The girl was impossibly beautiful, though she shied away when the picture was being taken. Her long, luscious hair fell in limp waves past her shoulders, accenting her deep brown eyes. She had pale skin, but it was flushed with color at her embarrassment, and I chuckled humorously, causing Tanya's eyes to sharply scrutinize my face.

Making my expression blank, I looked back at the pertinent information.

_Isabella Marie Swan._

_Born September 13, 1992._

_Parents Renee Dwyer and Charlie Swan, divorced three months after birth of subject in question…_

_Instated into CIA October 25, 2003._

I could have read further into it, her weight, height, likes, dislikes, everything, but Tanya's attempt at a cough to divert my attention worked, and I reluctantly closed the folder, putting it inside my rather large jacket pocket as the car rolled up to the curb. Already students were craning their necks for a better view of the occupants and staring at the luxurious vehicle.

I rolled my eyes.

"Ostentatious much?" I mumbled sarcastically as I went to open the door, pulling my bag over my shoulder. Tanya's cackle made me jump and narrow my eyes in surprise. God help whatever man wanted to marry _that._

"Sorry, it was the only car that they could offer that wasn't _too _overboard," she replied.

I grimaced at the thought that maybe I could have gotten here in a nice Volvo. That wasn't too revealing and yet I had the impression that Tanya had specifically wanted us to come here in a limo. Maybe because she thought it was my idea of romantic? Yeah, right. I scoffed internally.

I opened the door to get away from her only to be met by glaring sunlight. I immediately lifted a hand to shield my eyes as I folded my sunglasses onto the bridge of my nose, able to really look around for the first time.

Students milled about on the lawn, obviously having nothing important to do. They stared, as I knew they would, the girls gawking wordlessly as I pulled my luggage out of the trunk and the car swiftly drove away with a screech of tires. I made my way up the walkway, reveling in the nicely cut lawns and the intricately cut stone of the buildings. I glanced at the map in my hands and finally reached a walkway with a sign pointing toward the boys' dormitories. I smirked, strutting up the sidewalk and pushing open the doors only to be hit by a refreshing circulation of cool air.

My information sheet told me that I was on the third floor in room 210 B. Pushing the elevator button, I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for it to come down.

Once inside, I pressed the button for my floor, but someone's voice caught my attention.

"Wait! Hold the door, please!" They shouted.

I put my hand between the closing doors, pressing them back open and they obliged as a blond boy about a head taller than me grinned appreciatively.

"Thanks man," he added, out of breath.

I nodded, letting the doors close. He pressed for floor five, and he looked back at me, sizing me up. I was sure that he was a bit suspicious since I still hadn't taken off my sunglasses.

"Hey, I'm Mike Newton. Are you new? I've never seen you around campus before," he said, probably trying to make small talk. I immediately frowned. Conversation wasn't something I kept well on my end. I observed and absorbed, something any spy would be proud to accomplish on a regular day. It was why I was in this business.

"Yes. Edward Cullen," I replied, trying not to give too much away, but not trying to make a nuisance of myself and start gossip on the first day here. I didn't need a reputation already, though I was sure that girls were to gossip.

He nodded his head at well, accepting that I wasn't as social as he seemed to be. I almost sighed in relief as my floor opened up and I gracefully made my way away from the boy.

"See ya around man," he called casually as the doors shut.

Yeah, right. With my schedule, I might not even have time to go to sleep with everything that I needed to get done in the time allowed.

I looked at the first number on the floor, a gold plated sign plastered right on the door. 199.

Looking left to right, I finally spotted my room and grasped for the key inside my bag. As soon as I found it, and slid it into the lock, a very loud and obtrusive voice sounded from down the hallway.

"Hey! Do you know where the bathroom is in this joint?"

I smoothly turned to find one of the very subjects of my mission glancing at me as he looked up and down the long hall. It was obvious that the guy—Emmett, I recalled—needed to use the restroom; badly.

"No, I just got here," I replied in an offhand tone, stepping into the bedroom so that he wouldn't recognize me. I was pretty sure that everyone of the agents I had surveyed today had gotten files on me as well and that if I didn't remain low, then it was going to be a sure-fire way to immediately lose this unending battle.

"Thanks anyways," he called out as I shut the door with a snap.

Once inside, I leaned my back against it and sighed, finally taking off the glasses and rubbing a hand over my face. I was so tired. I needed sleep, but I knew that I had to go out and find the other two agents before I could do anything. I had already noticed what room number Emmett was in, simply because it was open and it was hard not to miss the bright gold lettering.

Settling my luggage onto one of the beds, I frowned as I realized I was going to have a roommate. This was going to be complicated.

But instead of mulling over ways of trying to get a room by myself—which I already knew was pretty slim—I grabbed my key and my small backpack, walking back out the door and down the hallway.

I vaguely realized that I wasn't wearing the school uniform as the Newton kid had been, but then glancing out the window of the hallway, I noticed that most of the kids weren't. Mike must've been a goody-goody boy, intent on doing well and being a teacher's pet.

The elevator was there already and before I knew it, I was walking across campus in search of the girls' dormitories. My simple strategy if anyone caught me was that I was lost. It was a simple enough explanation, considering that I was new anyways and if I ran into any of the other operatives, at least they would know that I knew about them.

Sometimes I wished I was normal.

I didn't like the way I had to use all of my senses to analyze everything around me. I could tell anyone who asked me the license plate number of the car that had just passed, how many windows from the left my bedroom was, the number of girls that had their cell phones out and were texting; I could even tell who was winning chess on a park bench about fifty feet away from me.

I hated that I knew all of this.

So as I finally reached the building where too many girls were giggling and staring at me unabashedly, I sighed, turning to a girl two feet away from me and asking her in a low, seductive voice, "Excuse me, could you tell me where the cafeteria is?"

It was so easy to get under a girl's skin. I simply had to smile at them, stare a little more intensely than normal, and I already knew whatever I needed to know.

This girl was sort of pretty, her glasses framing her square jaw and freckles danced across her nose and cheeks, splaying out to her hair. She gasped as I turned to look at her, and gawked before she stuttered, looking over at her friend for assistance.

"Um…y-yeah, i-it's just down this pathway and then to your left, right inside that building," she added, a little breathlessly.

I gave her the best smile I could conjure up and she nearly fainted. Her friend returned the smile politely and then starting snapping her fingers in front of her friend's face.

Like I said, it was too easy.

But before I headed to the cafeteria—I really was hungry—I surveyed the girls around me, one more time.

I hadn't really needed directions; I had memorized the map completely already, but I needed to stall so that I could secure a glance of every girl around me before I started there.

So far, I hadn't noticed the other operatives, Isabella and Mary Alice. As far as I was concerned, they were just getting settled into their rooms, but in Isabella's case, I figured she was currently being debriefed, considering her file told me that she had been going to this school since she was eleven.

There was a separate sector of the academy that was meant for middle school students, and then there was our sector. The high school students relatively kept away from the younger kids, but I could see a few brothers and sisters helping their younger siblings around the campus, reassuring them that they wouldn't get lost.

It was all so unfamiliar—I'd never really had a true family. My father had left when I was a baby, though my mother could never tell me why. I remembered the last time I saw her, such sadness coursing through her as I explained where I was going and why.

She had already been sworn to secrecy, but I had a feeling that none of that was too much of a problem with my mother. I just couldn't figure out why she had seemed so opposed to the idea of me becoming an agent—but I guessed that I would never find out.

I hadn't noticed that I was staring at the ground, walking, until I looked up and saw her. She was coming out of another building, her head up, looking around while she had a hand protectively located on her saddle bag.

She was wearing shorts and a T-shirt advertising a band unknown to me. She looked so average that it was hard to believe this was the girl that was going to oppose me in getting what my company wanted.

Just then, she looked up and met my gaze, her chocolate brown eyes hardening as her stare turned icy. But even deep beneath the hard exterior, I could see the secrets that she kept, and I knew-- even if I hadn't seen her picture-- that this girl was an operative. I could swear her chin lifted a bit higher, just as my heart went into palpitations.

* * *

I walked out of Carlisle's office, sure that I would be able to get over that fact…the simple fact that I was going to have to charm his son—under his watch, which was even more embarrassing. I was sure that every time I would be near him, he would be watching, gazing at his son and wishing that he could go to him.

It saddened me to know that he would be depriving himself of a reunion, but apparently something more important was at stake here; something that I still didn't know about, but the other agents did.

Right now, I was supposed to go to Rosalie and tell her what was going on and pass along the files. But when I looked around, searching for the other agents to see if they were around, I spotted him.

His copper/maroon hair stood out immediately, making me do a double-take and look at him more closely. He was staring intently at me, and I almost shivered at the feelings that resonated deep inside me. But I shook it off, remembering that he was just as trained—if not, even more so—as I was. My breath caught and I watched him as he looked me up and down before the most dazzling smile appeared on his face.

I couldn't remember why I couldn't like him.

I couldn't remember what his name was.

I couldn't remember what _my _name was.

Then he was walking toward me, and I regained my composure. I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, information flooding my mind as I eagerly assessed him.

His casual clothing didn't fool me, though he obviously didn't mind putting emphases on his body. His tightly fitted white shirt dignified his muscles, and I couldn't help but stare as that led to the loosely fitting jeans that hung right at his waist…

God, his body was so freaking hot.

I mentally smacked myself as he came ever closer and my breathing hitched as I realized this was going to be the first confrontation—we knew that each other knew. It was that simple, but it had to be conveyed anyways.

"Hello, I was wondering if you could direct me to the cafeteria," he said, his voice a low murmur that managed to sound dangerous and seductive at the same time.

I _did_ shiver then, and he noticed, his mouth pulling up at the corners a little, his eyes mocking my attempt to defy his charm. It was then that I noticed I had frozen and tensed, and this was obviously not something that you do when you're supposed to be 'under cover'. Not that we both didn't know who each other was. That was the silliest part of this whole business.

"Of course," I replied smoothly, my carefully trained half already taken over as I observed where we were and what Edward was carrying, which camera was trained on us.

I furtively shot a look at it while I was making my assessment; sure that Carlisle would have gotten it.

"I'll take you there myself, actually. I'm starved," I lied.

He smiled again, flawless as ever but I studiously ignored it, walking toward a worn path off toward another building in the center of the academy.

"So you're new here, are you?" I questioned, working my voice to sound coy and uninterested, though I desperately wanted to get to know him.

And this was a bad, very bad thing, I chastised myself.

_Stop it! He's your enemy, let alone your boss' son!_

"Yes. I got very lost and ended up all the way near the girls' dormitories," he answered vaguely looking down on my pathetic height of five feet four inches. I too looked up at him, noticing the vivid green color that was so clearly displayed here, as well as his picture which was hidden away in my saddle bag right near my hand…

"Really."

"Mhhh," he murmured.

By now we were almost there, and I was still trying to think of ways to find out what he knew about the object he was supposed to retrieve.

"So why'd you transfer here?" I inquired in an offhand tone as if I didn't really care.

He immediately launched into what I knew would have been a very good story—if I didn't know that it was fake.

"Well, my mother decided that my old school was too restraining on my knowledge, and decided to transfer me here where I could have a better education." His eyes glistened with amusement as he watched my reaction.

Of course there wasn't one, which I was sure displeased him.

"Interesting," I whispered.

Then the building was upon us, and I perked up at the smell of burritos wafting through the open doors.

"Here it is," I said, a little excited now that I had actually worked up an appetite.

This seemed to amuse him to no end.

"So it is," he replied, holding open the door for me as I walked ahead of him, managing to not lose him in my peripheral vision. He was so graceful, each of his steps seeming like a dance movement instead of walking. I snorted at this thought, causing him to look at me curiously. I shook my head, telling him that it was nothing he should be concerned about.

I turned down the hallway, immediately getting myself in line with the other students who had their meal cards out already—it was more like college here not a boarding school for high school students. Edward looked perplexed when he finally figured out that he needed that tiny card.

"Don't worry about it, I'll pay for you," I told him happily. Maybe this wouldn't be such a hard mission after all. I could keep him amused and entertained whilst I worked to keep the others off the scent of whatever was hidden on campus.

"That's all right, I have my ways…" He eyed the cashier furtively as I stepped forward and she swiped my card with a yawn. I waited for him on the other side of the railing, wondering what he was going to do.

He leaned forward, murmuring gently to the old woman whose eyes almost bugged out of their sockets and I saw him give her a little wink. Awed, I watched as she waved him through, looking thoroughly dazed as she swiped the next students card.

"What did you say to her?" I whispered, wondering why I couldn't do that, even to a sixteen year old guy. He shook his head, a slight smile on his lips. I, like the woman he had just thoroughly bewitched, looked at him again seeing the true beauty that lay there--but then remembered that he simply used that to his advantage.

"Wonder if you'd ever tell me your secrets," I mumbled, mostly to myself out of sarcasm of the irony of the situation. But he heard me, and his head whipped around as he gazed so intently at me, so seriously, I felt winded without even moving. As I continued to stare at him--he, contemplating; I, hyperventilating--his smile fell and he answered me, though I hadn't asked him a direct question.

"Definitely." Then he quirked his head to the side, and a sly grin appeared on his face. "Maybe."

I shook my head and walked past him as he smirked at me. Rule one of being a spy: Never underestimate your opponent.

--

* * *

I will have another chapter up soon, I'm debating whether I want it to be Emmett and Rosalie POV. Don't worry, Jasper /is/ involved in the story, you'll just have to wait for him to appear.

(:


	2. Lines

Aw. -pouts- Only one review? That's a little sad...well, I decided to venture into the minds of Rosalie and Emmett. In my mind, Rosalie is so pigheaded that all of her thoughts center around how it could benefit her. And Emmett thinks that everyone is so tiny and insignificant compared to his size, though he is brilliant none the less.

SO, here is the second chapter, hope that you like where I'm leading up...Sorry, I won't be doing an Alice POV for a while, simply because Jasper hasn't made his appearance...yet.

(: Enjoy.

* * *

_Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure._

_Helen Keller__  
__US blind & deaf educator (1880 - 1968)_

.

_Soundtrack: (She's a Lady; Forever the Sickest Kids)_

* * *

Prologue:

There are so many things that I could have handled. I could tackle a two-hundred pound man, I could flip my hair and have a guy by my side within seconds, and I could even hack the government's main frame. But one thing that I could have not possibly seen coming had happened.

And there wasn't really anything I could have done about it.

--

God, it was so good to be back. Of course, I wasn't only happy to be back simply because half of the junior class boys were staring at me with unabashed want, but because I could finally get back into action. There were so many different things that I wanted to try this year, and with the promise of a new assignment that Carlisle had mentioned, I was practically jumping out of my summer dress.

My luggage wasn't really an issue once I ran into Brad. He'd had a crush on me since we were here; the middle school sector really wasn't that big. So once I met Brad, I knew that he could be of good use some day. And wow, did he work out this summer? He looked even cuter than the last time I'd seen him…

"Hey, Rosalie, need help with your bags?"

He came jogging up behind me and I stopped, wheeling around to face him, plastering a smile on my face. He looked a bit taken aback by my sudden enthusiasm, but I didn't care. This was going to be a great year.

"Sure," I replied, happily handing over my bags to him. He took them, walking along beside me as my high heels made beautiful little clacking sounds against the pavement. What I wouldn't give to own a good pair of stilettos…

His voice brought me out of my musings just as I was thinking about the new Jimmy Choos.

"So, how've you been Rose?" he asked. Aw, he was so cute. I wonder how he'd look as my boyfriend…

"I've been great!" I replied, stopping my mind rambling before it could start again.

"That's good. So, did you hear? I made the tailback on the school's football team," he said, proudly clenching his arm muscles around my bag.

I giggled excitedly for him, causing his big goofy grin to spread even wider.

"I know, I heard! Congrats."

"Thanks."

I hadn't noticed how quickly we had gotten to the girls' dormitories before we were staring up at the big stone building while Brad lingered nervously near the entrance. He didn't know whether or not I wanted him to come up. How naïve.

"Why don't you help me carry that up to my room?" I suggested, thinking about how jealous all of the other girls would be. There was just no way that they could even compete with me this year; besides Bella, whom I would never compare myself to, I knew that I was the most gorgeous person here.

It was so obvious with the envious stares that I constantly got, and it did help that Bella was always so willing to give me praise. I flipped one side of my long, blonde hair, immediately sending a wave of vanilla-scented air toward my nostrils as I smiled at Brad.

"S-sure," he stuttered, letting me lead the way.

By the time I had reached our hallway, I had made up my mind. I was going to have some fun with Brad.

I stopped in front of my door, playing coyly with my set of keys. I figured I would make it more obvious what I wanted to him by looking up and trying to play off as nervous.

He grinned, taking the keys from me and managing to get it on the first try. Thanking him, I grabbed one of my bags and pulled it in, while he took the other and placed it on the far side of my golden bed. I sat down, crossing my legs as he shut the door behind him with his foot.

"Brad, you look good this year," I complimented him, lowering my voice a tad in an imitation of seductive. I really didn't want to waste all of my energy on getting him when it could be only too easy already.

"Rose, I'm nothing compared to you," he said, his voice already an octave lower and husky as he leaned over me, one arm on each side of my hips.

"Really?" I asked, pouting my lips with false doubt.

His answer was to kiss me. I didn't mind, this was what I wanted. But somehow, I had the feeling that I was cheating on someone, sneaking around when I wasn't tied down in anyway.

So slowly, his jacket disappeared as well as my boots, and the bed was already a mess. His hot breath tickled my throat and I couldn't help but think, _Why do I feel like such tramp?_

--

I couldn't do it. We hadn't gone that far, and I had to make a really lame excuse to get out of it. I felt so ashamed; I just couldn't take the guilt of doing such an act with such a willing guy. It was too much. Although I didn't let him get away that easily; I needed my praise for the day.

So instead of what our agenda had been, I decided to model my latest underwear and clothing for him, which he was all to happy to comment on…and to stare and touch. But it never led to anything more than I wanted, and I was grateful to Brad for that. He obviously wasn't one to push a woman, and that made me think that he would have an all-too willing girlfriend in the future.

I took a shower—he took one as well. It wouldn't be great if we walked out looking the way we did and have gossip starting before school even did.

Just as I was changing back into my sundress, I realized that I was missing an essential piece of my ensemble.

"Hey, Brad, could you toss me my bra?" I asked, reaching out the bathroom door for it.

When he didn't respond, I got impatient and looked out to see what was up—or if he had left already. Instead, I found him there wrapped in one of my towels staring dumbly at Bella who must've appeared while I was in the bathroom. I hadn't heard anyone come in, or anyone say anything, but it was obvious that I had missed out on something.

"OH MY GOD!" I shrieked, closing the door and leaning my back against it. My heart hammered in my chest as I thought about what Bella must have been thinking. I heard some shuffling around as Bella starting to leave, calling out to me as she did so, "Hey, Rose, sorry to interrupt, I'll be back in a few hours!"

Then the door slammed shut and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. I peeked back out the door only find Brad already tugging on his T-shirt, his pants on.

"Sorry 'bout that, Rose," he mumbled, ruffling a hand through his short blond hair.

"It's all right," I said, coming out and snatching up my bra which had been carelessly thrown onto the floor nearly an hour ago. I tugged it on, pulling my sundress over my head as well and saw him watching me. I felt weird about the whole thing now—I wasn't self-conscious of my body, quite the opposite. But having him here made me feel dirty, like I had done some wrong.

"Well, I should probably go get my schedule and such…" I muttered, grabbing my purse as I made my way to the door, him following silently behind me.

"Yeah, me too."

Then that was that. He was gone in the opposite direction that I was, probably to the boys' dormitories to brag about how he went all the way with me. I snorted at the thought. It wasn't like I cared; the more boys thought about me, the better. And the idle gossip that started among girls was hardly enough to hurt my ego.

Not really paying attention to where I was going, I found myself at the registration desk, far away from where I needed to be. There were transfer students here, and I tried not to cringe at the nerds that had started staring at me. It was disgusting to think what they must be thinking in their snide thoughts.

Shaking my head of what those thoughts brought on, I made my way to the desk, ignoring whoever else was already waiting.

"Excuse me; can I pick up my schedule here?" It was easy not to lie; but I didn't necessarily want to admit that I had gone the totally wrong direction and that I was too lazy to walk across the campus to the right place.

The woman looked at me warily, probably thinking that she wished she still looked like me; these thoughts wouldn't surprise me, I'd heard it all before.

"Sure, honey. Let me just pull up your name…" she trailed off, leaving me to insert my given name.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale," I sighed, not personally liking that my parents had given me the middle name of a flower. Something more exotic maybe would have fit…

The woman sighed and turned to her ancient computer, asking me how to spell my first name and my birth date, yadda, yadda…I could have already pulled my information up on my _cell phone _and this woman would still be processing the data. I tapped my nails impatiently as another student came up behind me.

I ignored them, realizing it was another jock, a guy, probably just staring at my butt, unable to sit and watch from afar. Men were so predictable…

Finally the woman pulled up my file, printing out my schedule and handing it to me with a fake smile.

"You have a nice day, dear."

Yeah, sure you want me to have a nice day. I smiled back, cocking my head to the side as I turned to stride past whatever moron was standing behind me. And then, I almost slammed into a wall.

He had to be the biggest guy I'd ever seen, his muscles not even fitting inside the tiny T shirt that he wore above his low slung jeans. But when I looked up, he had that look, the look that I'd seen on thousands of operative photos, the look that said, 'I'm hiding something and you know it.'

Instead of gasping like I wanted to, I used my peripheral vision to check that the camera in the lobby was trained on this spot. I would have to ask Carlisle a favor, and have him send over the tapes.

"Excuse me," I said, making my statement more of an accusation against him. He smirked, moving aside and gesturing with his large, muscular, warm hand…

_Stop it Rosalie, shut up! _I demanded of myself as I lifted my chin and slid by him. I was trying not to hyperventilate. Surely there wasn't anyone that beautiful; I was the only person that I had ever known to come that close. But suddenly I wanted to be with the stranger, wanted to share my secrets with him, get to know him….

_Rose, that's just what he wants! He's a spy for goodness sake!_

Right. Don't think about him. Don't think about those perfectly cute eyes, and the way his mouth had a little crinkle on the left side when he smiled…

So I definitely wasn't thinking about him when he appeared right beside me, pretending to be reading some book whose cover title I didn't even try to process.

Startled, I tried not to notice him any more than I already had. Really, I had other important things to think about, like getting my high tech lap top online before Carlisle could find out that it wasn't, and thinking about what I wanted to wear tomorrow that would make me look amazing… But apparently the guy had other ideas.

"So, Rosalie Hale, how did such a beautiful girl such as yourself come to be in a place like this?"

I immediately stopped in my tracks. No one had ever hid a compliment into such a simple sentence like that before and it made me antsy. Surely most guys would have just come right out with it right? He too stopped, glancing at me innocently, like he didn't notice that he was already driving me crazy.

"Excuse me?" I asked, exasperated.

He just raised a large, dark eyebrow, saying nothing.

I started walking again, a little faster than normal. His long legs easily kept pace with my stride as he waited for me to answer.

"Well, obviously I was smart enough to get into the school. Why wouldn't I take the chance when it presented itself?" I questioned vaguely, turning onto the worn path to the girls' dormitories. The stranger didn't bother to change direction or wonder where we were going, but he looked thoughtful, like he was considering what he wanted to say. God, that strong jaw line was driving me mad…

"Hm…I guess I had you pegged for a model of some sort." He shrugged off the next compliment as though it really wasn't worth much of his time to say it. Was this guy for real?!

I stopped in front of the building, swiveling to face him head on. He was at least a good five inches taller than me, even about a foot wider still. But his size was strangely not intimidating…it made me want to figure out how I would fit into those broad arms, have those shoulders caressed around my perfect frame…

_Shut up Rosalie!_

I opened my mouth to say something, but right then someone bumped into the mystery man and the papers he was holding went flying all over in front of my feet. I knelt to help him pick them up as he murmured an apology to the guy that had ran into him.

There were a few folders and papers about the school, and as I picked one of those folders up, I stopped. Inside, I saw my own stunning face staring back at me with a smug expression, all of my carefully hidden history right there on the white piece of paper. Oh. My. God. This heavenly creature that I had just fallen for was an operative. And he had files on _me_!

Crap.

I stood slowly, holding the papers out so that he could see what I had already uncovered. He didn't look nervous, keeping his expression blank, as though he had wanted me to find what he had hidden. I put a hand on my hip and flipped my hair as his smile pulled up into a mocking sneer.

"Guess I'll see you around Spy Boy," I said, raising my eyebrows provocatively. He had already known I was an agent; now I knew that he was one too.

"See you around hot stuff," he answered, grinning goofily. Wonder why that was so appealing to me… I turned on my heel, wiggling my hips for his benefit. Once inside, I rushed up to my room and slammed the door, running over to my computer and turning it on, waiting for the codes to pop up. I had to know who this guy was.

* * *

_Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together._

_Petrarch__,__De Remedies__  
__Italian humanist, lyric poet, & scholar (1304 - 1374)_

* * *

Prologue:

It's rare that I find something that interests me. Women had never been a real sport of getting, considering it was so easy when you were a big guy like me. So when I found someone so mysterious, so beautiful, so alluring and so stubborn, I knew that I had met my impending doom.

But what happens when that perfect someone is the person that you're trying to destroy? Could I get past that and be happy, or would I forever be wondering if she was keeping secrets from me?

--

Being an agent sucks. You really have no life outside of it, and people take you so seriously all the time. I might have forgotten what sarcasm was if I hadn't met perky little Alice. She was the perfect antidote to the suppressing and tense atmosphere of the CIA that we immediately bonded. So now we were being transferred to some smarty pants boarding school, looking for some smarty pants high tech device that our company could use.

_So _much fun. I wonder if Alice noticed how much I was looking forward to this.

She sat in front of me in the small car, her short black hair sticking out more than usual from her unplanned nap against the window. It was so amusing how small she was compared to me; practically a little faerie or pixie of some sort. I couldn't imagine her with a guy—she seemed too tiny to even kiss a guy who was average height. But then again, I could always be wrong. We didn't speak a lot about our personal life, just mainly lived in the moment—and for that I was truly grateful.

The school was grand, more old-age beauty than new-age magnificence. It wasn't something that I was really interested in; this was just another mission, one that would hopefully be over soon. I just wanted to go back home to my own school and finish out my last year of High School. Then I could do whatever I wanted.

We hadn't attracted a lot of attention until I stepped out of the car; it was obvious by the looks on several of the students faces that I was intimidating and that they were scared out of their minds. I chuckled humorlessly; if they really knew the kinds of things I was capable of.

Alice didn't speak as much as she normally did as I towed our luggage across the campus. We'd already been through the virtual tour enough times to have it memorized, so as not to draw even more attention to ourselves by asking for directions. The files that I now held in my hands told me that the guy was handsome enough to get his way any day with a woman; and the Isabella character could very well be his first target. I was counting on that assumption.

Mumbling a quick, "Let's meet up later," Alice and I departed our separate ways as I found my way to the boys' dormitories. There weren't a lot of kids around; busy loitering, checking out the girls, I presumed. But the children that I did see looked merely that—children. It was humorous how little everyone seemed to me. Not having much significance because of their height. The only person that could truly instill terror into my being was my own father, and he had to be at least a head taller than me.

I didn't miss the looks that I got from most of the girls, ogling over my muscles. Probably wondering if I was a body builder or weight lifter or something silly like that. Women were too predictable.

It took me enough time to find which floor I was on that by the time I reached for the key in my pocket, I had to go to the bathroom pretty bad. I had expected that a boarding school this fancy would have the bathrooms installed into the very rooms themselves, but no such luck.

I took a moment to look at the room, marveling in it's sincerity. The walls were painted a pale sky blue—making it obvious that the interior decorators were women—and the carpet was the same pale beige that the hallways were painted. The two separate beds were facing each other on opposite walls, the window beside the bed that wasn't already occupied with someone else's belongings. Huh. Wonder who my new roomie was.

Lost in what the room had looked like, I didn't realize that my needs had kicked up a notch. I swiveled, looking for the door to the bathroom, but found that there were only two doors to a very small closet for each person. Great.

I opened the door, looking up and down the hallway for someone, spotting a tall, pale guy opening his door. He was wearing sunglasses, for whatever reason I couldn't understand, but I shouted out to him loudly, trying to get his attention.

"Hey! Do you know where the bathroom is in this joint?"

"No, I just got here," he said, stepping into his room quickly and shutting the door.

Grumbling to myself about unhelpful little tykes, I yelled back, "Thanks anyways."

All right. This wasn't good. I ran up and down the hallway, desperate now to find someone who knew where the bathroom was. How big could this building be?!

Finally, a little freshman who had just checked in directed me to a door two down from mine—it looked the same as every other door in this place—and I was able to stop doing 'the dance' for anyone that came within a ten mile radius of my large self.

Happy that I had finally been relieved, I noticed that I didn't even have my schedule, and thinking about the helpful little boy—and he _was _little, that small kid; he looked like he was cowering when I called out to him—I also realized I hadn't bothering to check in with my hurry to get to my room.

I made my way back to the elevator, humming a tuneless song to myself, causing a few raised eyebrows as boys came in and out of the small metal craft that was going up and down until I got off with a loud huff.

The fact that I was here on a mission came to mind, pulling my backpack from off my shoulder brought back the memory of Alice handing me the files. I pulled them out—glancing at the two faces there once more—and found my way to the registration office. There were a lot of freshmen there from what I could tell, and I tried not to make a nuisance of myself by sitting in one of the tiny chairs situated around the air conditioned lobby. I stood against the back wall, leaning my head against it and closing my eyes, relishing in the tiny amount of peace that was offered here.

Then, with a sudden jolt, they snapped back open as I heard the steady _click, clack _of high heels against the linoleum outside the door. Turning my head slightly to eye whatever girl was coming, I did a double take once I glanced at the gorgeous creature.

She was blonde, her luscious, long hair hanging down her bare back as the tight sundress she wore moved with her body as she made her way past the insignificant freshmen and sophomores, immediately talking up the lady at the front desk.

She didn't have to say anything to me, but I was immediately stunned, mission totally forgotten. I'm not one who usually overreacts, but I wanted to run to this goddess and protect her from the perverted eyes of the kid next to me. I glared down at him as he looked up at me, noticing that I had caught him staring and flinched back, stepping away from me.

Happy that I had finally put my obnoxious looks to good use, I looked back at the girl, happy to have another project other than my current one. Her body was perfect, her curves flowing easily around her, as she held herself so sternly that it was obvious she knew what kind of power she held; and she used it. That was so hot.

Slapping myself a little, I shook my head and went to stand behind her, noticing that she was asking for her schedule.

"Sure honey. Let me just pull up your name…" the woman behind the desk was saying, leaving the beautiful girl to fill in the blank.

The woman—I looked at her name tag to find that it said, 'Susanne'—looked about as old as my grandmother had been. So fragile and sweet, I wanted to hug her for some reason. This amused me, and I smiled a bit at the thought. Grandmothers were my specialty, always loving how strong and buff I was so that I could help them around the house—and they sure as heck didn't mind feeding someone as big as me. I think they found it humorous to see who could make me eat the most; my time at nursing homes was far over though, and the CIA had taken over priority.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale," she said, tapping her painted fingernails quickly against the counter top as she waited impatiently. I couldn't help but smile wider once I knew her name—Rosalie. So exotic and fiery; it suited her perfectly. How odd, I already knew what suited someone without speaking to them. Maybe it was a sign.

She wasn't as little as most of the giggling girls behind me, but she was easily tiny enough that I could break her with just my bicep—this made me want to see how she fit into my arms even more. I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around her waist as I waited for the woman to pull up her file. There was no question in my mind that I was going to follow this girl out, schedule or not.

"You have a nice day, dear." Finally. I could see where she was going after this. Hopefully not back to the dorms, she probably wouldn't invite me there…

_Shut up Emmett! You don't even know the girl!_

Then, she turned around. I guess she hadn't seen me come up behind her, but suddenly she was slamming into my stomach—how cute, I thought. Her head only came up to my throat at the least. I reached out my hand to steady her, and her eyes went wide as she finally looked up to meet my gaze.

Oh, God. This was one of the girls. This was one of the operatives that was in my hand right now, in that tiny, flimsy piece of paper that I held in my hand. But instead of going into a panic about already liking another agent, I smiled a smug smile as she muttered a faint, "Excuse me."

Her voice…so angelic, like satin against skin, the softness flowing over me as I tried not to laugh at how stern she was trying to be with me—the look of recognition in her eyes wasn't very easily hidden. She lifted her chin, so snidely that I almost _did _laugh then, and strode away from me, her arms pumping at her sides.

I looked back at her, then at the woman waiting at the desk before going after Rosalie. I picked up the book I had in my bag and starting reading from where I had left off last, but I don't think that I fooled her. This was so ridiculous; going after another agent, when we both full well knew that that kind of relationship was forbidden. It was all so silly, but it made it all the more worth it. Worth the try at least.

Finally, I spoke up as she sped up her pace.

"So, Rosalie Hale, how did such a beautiful girl such as yourself come to be in a place like this?" I asked innocently, raising my eyebrows when she suddenly stopped. I swiveled to look at her shocked expression, waiting for her to answer.

Then, a breathless voice very unlike the one she used in the office said, "Excuse me?"

"Well, obviously I was smart enough to get into the school. Why wouldn't I take the chance when it presented itself?" she continued, not bothering to let me answer her first question. Then she started walking again as I contemplated my answer to her unnecessary assumptions.

"Hm…I guess I had you pegged for a model of some sort." It wasn't really a lie; before I saw her face, I was wondering if they were doing an ad for the school with models of some sort to attract more male students. Apparently I was wrong. She had stopped again as I recognized the girls' dormitories building behind her, all of the females giggling wildly as they bickered and gossiped, their eyes on every guy within a ten feet radius.

I shrugged, about to depart, when some moron bumped into me. Normally, my size and weight would be too much for anyone to even consider trying to tip off balance, but I was so absorbed with Rosalie that I hadn't noticed the kid. My files and papers flew across the ground in front of her feet and then I froze.

_Aw, crap._

She had just picked up her own file, all the information displayed there. She must have already known that I was an agent from the cold looks she had given me back at the office, but that was nothing compared to what she was doing to me now; she was taunting me. Oh, God, I wanted this heavenly creature so bad. I had to make her mine, some how, some way.

"Guess I'll see you around Spy Boy," she said, her eyebrow shooting up in a sensual way that only she could pull off. _God, Emmett, shut your face! She's a freakin' agent with a model's body. Get a hold of yourself!_

Oh yeah, this girl definitely knew how to play. Question was, whether she was good enough to stay in the game.

"See you around hot stuff," I answered. Which I certainly hoped was a true statement. She turned on her heel, the loud noise following her as she sashayed her way away from me.

Ruffling a hand through my short hair, I laughed and started back to my dorm.

* * *

Review for me please?

-pouts with Edward staring intensely at you, promises of comforting you at night-


	3. Desire

* * *

This one is way shorter, sorry people. ): By the way, what's up with the millions of alerts and favorites, but only five reviews?! This makes me sad--maybe I'm not a good author...

-cries helplessly while looking over shoulder at readers-

-hint hint-

(: Enjoy. From now on, there aren't going to be repeated conversations where the boy's and girl's POV is shown. Nope. So, in this chapter, something interesting happens...READ ON.

* * *

_If you greatly desire something, have the guts to stake everything on obtaining it._

_-Brenden Francis_

.

_Soundtrack: (Dirty Little Secret; All American Rejects.)_

* * *

It was really irritating to find people who had once been your best friends, staring at you in envy as you sat yourself across from the most gorgeous man in the world. It wasn't as if _I _had approached _him._ It was the complete opposite. Though, in the end, I would have to admit that if he hadn't come to me first, I would have unwillingly gone to him.

He seemed so sure of his movements, so precise in the way that he held himself, the way that his facial expression gave off too much emotion; everything was so carefully controlled, and I felt saddened by the aspect that we all lived this carefully cultivated life where you never knew who was your friend—or your enemy.

I had left him to get his own food while I got my own; snagging a table right by the large windows that surrounded the whole café.

The front side, which was consisted entirely of the large glass, showed the front lawn and the walkways of the school, little middle school kids running around in search of their friends as they tried to find their way here. The back part of the too large room was sprinkled with every bit of country there is; there was Italian, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, and the traditional American cuisine, all displayed in rows after rows as the students lined up to eat.

I pushed a lone french fry back and forth in the ketchup on my plate, not looking at the perfectly still statue in front of me. He was quiet, only asking an occasional question or two about the school. But what really irritated me was when he would stare; so openly, he would just sit there and look at me for a few minutes, as if he had nothing better to do with his time.

My eyebrows pulled together in concentration as I tried to decipher the meaning of his odd actions when a low chuckle from across my booth made the table gently shake, causing me to look up into the most vibrant colored eyes.

"What?" I frowned.

"You look very…cute when you're exasperated," he commented with a chuckle as his eyelids closed over the breathtaking pupils. God, I needed to get a love life before I went insane.

I tried to hold it back; I willed my body not to show the embarrassment, but without even stopping at the profuse screaming I was yelling at my veins and nerves—I blushed. I ducked my head, pretending to be eating as I waited for the color in my cheeks to cool so I could look back at him.

Unfortunately, he noticed my performance.

An ashen hand reached out into my line of sight, gently unfolding a finger as it lifted my chin once again to absorb the intensity that he threw at me. His thumb was resting lightly centimeters away from my mouth as he stroked out to my now flaming cheeks.

I turned my head, his hand falling back down reluctantly as he pulled it back into his lap. My face felt so hot that I would have expected the sun to be burning down on my face rather than the light rays of sun that barely filtered in through the plexi-glass beside us. He must have sensed my tension, but he didn't say anything to try and ease it.

How was I to know if Edward was being serious? You can't make a move like that without either wanting to play someone (which the larger part of me agreed was what he was doing), or if you wanted to really get involved with that person (which the tinier part of me was desperately hoping for). So, in this situation, I immediately had…absolutely no clue what to do. Which is why Rose is my best friend.

But seeing the complications of the fact that she wasn't with me, I was starting to panic a little, trying to keep my hyperventilation to a minimum; from the concerned looks he was giving me, I assumed it wasn't working.

"I don't think I ever fully introduced myself," I said suddenly, perking up a bit at this news.

But when I looked him over for the second (strike that—fifth) time, his expression was beyond bemused. His stupid, smug smirk was back, making me want to smack him across the face—or the total opposite…

_NO! He was just playing you, Bella, just trying to get into your head!_ I chided myself as I focused on the situation.

He slowly leaned forward, more than he already had been, looking me straight in the eye as he breathed, holding his hand out, "I'm Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you Miss. Swan."

Oh. He was good. But two can play that game.

"Mhh…it's not so nice actually. You see, I think my boyfriend might be a little jealous that we're having lunch together," I stated in a vague tone. Confusion and something else flickered across Edward's emotionless face before going back to the smugness.

"Oh? Is that so?" he murmured, looking up at me through his lashes as he went back to eating off of his pretty clean plate.

"Yeah…it's sad though," I pouted, waiting for him to look up, interested. He didn't. I went on anyways. "He's not going to get here for another couple of days."

Well…I could always tell Jasper my plan, and hopefully he would go along with it. But I wasn't sure…everything seemed very out there at the moment. I had an odd feeling that this wasn't going to be like other missions. Something was definitely off here—

"Are you finished eating?" he asked suddenly, almost bouncing out of the booth eagerly. My eyebrows rose in confusion, but I nodded my head and he dragged me out of the booth.

--

It was dark out already. Since we were so far north, nighttime usually came around the time they served lunch, so it was always made to seem like we had just eaten dinner—it was way too confusing for most of the younger kids.

I walked along with Edward in silence, my thoughts straying to what Rose would think, or say about my disappearance when I got back. She would probably be too busy with her computer to get too many details, but I understood how work could take over people's lives—my father was a great example.

He worked too much, and I worried that after I got sent here he would be far too lonely. But he assured me that after ten years without me living with him, he had gotten along just fine. Sighing, I remembered the look on his face as I boarded the airplane and flew away from him.

"So, Isabella, what do you do for fun around here?"

I cringed at my given name, not liking how formal and perfect it sounded coming from his lips. I corrected him automatically; an old habit.

"Call me Bella."

He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more, waiting for a response as we aimlessly wandered the grounds. The shadows caused by the lack of light did amazing things to the way Edward's already beautiful face looked, momentarily making me lose myself in his handsome features. He blinked, still sauntering along beside me, his gaze clouding over for a minute.

The second he looked away, the question came back to me, and I started rambling off all of the activities that I knew of.

"Well, I'm not really much of a sport person, you know, I'm really clumsy, but there's boys and girls tennis, soccer, football, baseball…" His eyes lit up when I mentioned that specific sport and I filed that information away for future references as I ticked everything I knew off of my fingers.

We had come full circle now, the same people passing by us, gossiping as only teenagers could do. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I fell silent, and he continued to look amused at my sudden word vomit.

"That sounds…pretty cool, actually," he finally said, swiveling to a stop about two feet from me. It was getting darker by the minute, but the lanterns could only glow so bright. I could hardly make out his face as he stood in the shadows of a huge oak tree planted in front of whatever building we had wound up at.

I wasn't paying attention anymore as he stepped closer and leaned his head down, his breath fanning across my flushed face. He smelled…I inhaled for the full effect—amazing. I couldn't quite pin point what exactly the scent was, but the vague smells of vanilla, cinnamon and fresh baked apple pie registered in my memory. I tried not to look as psychotic as I sounded to myself as I inhaled more subtly, begging him to not make me crazy with his aroma.

"W-what are you doing?" I stuttered out, my face getting hotter and hotter by the second as he guided me further into the darker shaded area. I knew that this was a bad idea—anyone who was my age with the knowledge of all the horrible things people could do to each other should know that you don't go galloping into the shadows with a handsome stranger who you _know _is secretly a government agent working for people who don't like your people….

Just thinking about it made my head ache.

I was finally backed into the school building. I cowered a bit, wondering if he really was as menacing as his file said he was….

"I'm…" he paused, chuckling as he started again, "I suppose I'm coming onto you Isabella Marie Swan," he whispered my name luxuriously across my face as he bent ever closer to me. All the while, he had managed to press me further against the wall, his hands resting lightly on my sides. My breathing hitched and there was an odd swelling in my throat that I couldn't swallow as his smiling, beautiful, magnificent face came centimeters away from my parted lips….

"Bella? Is that you?" I jerked at the sound of my name coming from his lips. Immediately Edward stepped back from me, looking slightly annoyed and frustrated as he tried to see the approaching figure through the dark.

"Bella?" he called again. I groaned, realizing what I could have almost done. How could I have been so stupid?! Merely his looks and _smell _was enough to drive me crazy to the point where I couldn't even remember who he was. This was very bad, oh, so so bad….

"Yeah…Jasper? Is that you?" I called, not sure.

The answering chuckle was enough for me. Without looking back at a probably very confused Edward, I ran forward, my saddle bag swinging wildly, jumping into his arms.

He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist, hugging him tightly as he turned us around in circles. I was so happy to see him, I had totally forgotten about the task at hand.

As he pulled me down, my feet still hovering about a foot off of the ground, I whispered to him, "There's an agent with me. Carlisle's son. He's not with us."

He nodded his head, still smiling happily, as if I hadn't just told him the grimmest news. We both knew that this was bad. But I still hadn't filled Jasper in on my 'fake-boyfriend-so-I-don't-fall-for-or-get-distracted-by-Edward' plan. This was going to get complicated.

I intertwined my fingers with Jasper's concluding with a few confused looks from his as I whispered furtively, "Play along," through clenched teeth. It wasn't hard to find where we had been standing. Edward was pacing a little anxiously as he spotted me, a small smile creeping across the delicate features until he looked down.

The smile faltered a bit, but he held it up there; he was stronger than I thought.

"Hey, Edward, this is my _boyfriend_," I looked over pleadingly at Jasper, "Jasper. I guess he got back earlier than I thought he would," I admitted sheepishly.

Keeping a hold of my hand, Jasper stepped forward and clasped Edward's hand in his other, doing that 'handshake' that every guy seems to know. I tried not to snort as that thought came to mind.

"Hey, what's up man?" Edward asked casually, though he knew very much what was up; I felt bad, guilty, for a moment, for leading him on. Whether it was because he was trying to get inside my head (some faint part of me hoped that he had, so that I didn't hurt him), or because he really did like me (if he did, I was such a tease).

We stood there awkwardly for a moment before Jasper announced, "Well, I've got to go catch up with Rose, Bella, so I'll see you later." He placed a very chaste kiss on my cheek as he all but ran away from the scene. I scowled after him. Coward.

Wrapping my arms around myself, I tried not to look at the figure less than three feet away from me, scuffing his feet on the ground.

"Why don't I walk you back to your dorm? It's pretty dark…don't want any testosterone fueled boys coming after you," he joked, chuckling a bit; but it was off, as if there were some underlying emotion behind the mask, behind the laugh that sounded so natural to anyone else's ears—but to someone like me, it was so easy to detect.

I chose not to waver on it, walking ahead as he gestured for me to continue, since I 'knew my way around'. Pfft, he'd probably already memorized the map. But nonetheless, I walked at his leisure pace, and found myself there within the next twenty minutes, not having spoken a word since Jasper left.

I stopped in front of the doorway, the light so bright I could make out the tiny wrinkles near his eye when he smiled up at me…

_-slap- Get a hold of yourself Bella! I hope God helps you if he tries to kiss you again…_

Why did I suddenly have two separate brains? Confused, I stepped back, saying, "Well, we've got a big morning tomorrow, and dinner's a while away so I'd better go…" I trailed off, hoping against hope that he would try to kiss me again as my brain screamed at me that that was totally off limits to be thinking.

He stepped forward, so assertively; I knew that I was totally out in the open. Which reminded me; we had been watched we were in the shadows. Carlisle was manning the desks at all times. Oh crap. That's beyond embarrassing.

My cheeks flamed up as I finally noticed this trivial detail and I found myself stuttering again.

"I-I had a nice time meeting you. I should go inside…" I turned around, but he caught my wrist, pulling me quickly and forcefully against his body. My breath left me in a giant _whoosh _of air and I started choking as he brought his face down to lightly brush against mine as his nose skimmed against the accessible part of my neck.

I shivered.

"Bella, you are simply impossible," he murmured, his lips brushing longingly against the fine hairs of my neck as he moved his way up to my ear. They stood on end, like being electrified as I was so relaxed in this enemy's arms.

His lips found their way to my ear, and he whispered, so quietly I could hardly hear him, "I see past your show. But don't worry; I like you more than you give me credit for."

And then he brought his face back, within millimeters of my willing lips as I waited impatiently for the impact. But it didn't come. My eyelids fluttered open, and I realized his arms weren't around me anymore. He was gone, already walking back toward his dorm.

"Oh…my…God," I breathed, running into the building, away from this insane desire to be with my enemy.

--

I burst into the dark room, aware that the humming noise coming from the right was obviously Rose at work with her computers. Not bothering to be subtle about it, I smacked the files I had into her lap and plopped onto the sofa beside her bed.

"Rose, I think I'm in love with the enemy."

She didn't say anything, and I looked up, unsatisfied by her non-response. "Rose?" I asked, concerned when she didn't look up at me. She stared at the computer screen, her eyes moving furiously fast as she read the information scrolling there.

Only then did I finally look at what was displayed there, and gasped. It was one of the agents, the large, college sized one. Why did she already know about him? Had she gone to see Carlisle already?

The barrage of questions was at the tip of my tongue when she finally breathed out heavily, looking up at me with pleading eyes—never once has Rosalie Hale looked so helpless in her entire life.

I was unaccustomed to seeing such vulnerability that I was taken aback when she said, "I think I am too."

* * *

Please, please, please review for me? It could make my day so much better since I went all out to get this final (no, the stories not done) chapter out before the contest that I entered this in is done. So, please, for my own stupid, authoress benefit, review?

-pleads-


	4. Strangers

* * *

_That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way._

_-Doris Lessing_

.

_Soundtrack: (4ever; The Veronicas.)_

* * *

It wasn't long before we had detailed our days to each other. Rosalie said that my story was way more important, simply because I knew more about the subject and now had a somewhat rather unusual relationship with him; she found the part about Jasper hilarious, much to my dismay—I scowled.

But it was time to get back to business. From what she could tell, Carlisle hadn't explained to Rosalie or his co-operatives about what the other agents were after. So it was time for us to do some digging.

After Rose was sure that no one was tracking her computer work, and after putting up what seemed like a million fire walls and codes, she began.

No hacker in the world could compare to Rosalie. No matter how conceited or promiscuous she seemed, she could probably have your birth certificate, your criminal record, and a live video feed of you in about five minutes flat. And that was putting it vaguely. I shuddered, remembering the time she had brought up blackmail so that I would do her history homework.

The three screens that sat in front of us, scrolling information, was impossible to read. There were combinations of numbers and letters, codes and fire walls all displaying themselves across the page, Rosalie's face determined as her fingers worked hastily across the keyboard.

Little screens popped up on the bottom, allowing her to type her counter-hacks as she finally wormed her way into the system. With a satisfied smirk, she turned back to me grinning and saying, "Let's do it."

* * *

It was impossible. The CIA had way too many fire walls, too many codes to be hacked as she tried to access every part of the files that she could get to. We hadn't found out much, just background information about the people whom our opponents worked for.

I yawned, watching warily as Rosalie struggled to stay awake with the time limit of breaking down yet another cipher. Suddenly, she sat up, her eyelids no longer drooping as she shook my knee and urged in a loud voice, "Bella! BELLA! Look at this!"

I was alert again, regaining composure as I struggled to sit closer to the computer screen. Now, I wasn't a genius like Rosalie with computers, but I was smart enough to notice the small white window that had popped up on the middle monitor with my name scrolled across the top.

Hesitantly, Rose scanned it for viruses, and gave me the all clear to check it out. I watched as my hand moved the mouse toward the box, opening it larger and the words that were printed there practically screamed at me.

_Having fun hacking the CIA Bella Swan?_

Dear God. How did he know that Rose was hacking? Only really, really amazing computer technicians and hackers could know those things, and even the CIA hadn't closed down our operation; they hadn't noticed Rose getting past their securities. So how could _he_?!

I quickly typed back, encoding the cipher that he had used to send the message to us.

_Almost as much fun as you have spying on me, Cullen._

Rosalie's eyes widened when she finally caught on to what happened. Then, the more relative fact that she had been under watch without knowing made its way into her mind and she stood, muttering curses as she paced across the room anxiously.

The reply was almost instant.

_You're smart, Swan. But apparently, not smart enough._

I could almost see the signature smirk crossing his face as he typed that, see the way he arrogantly proclaimed himself better than me. And it made me furious.

_What the hell is that supposed to mean, Cullen?_

I drummed my fingers nervously against the keyboard as Rosalie disappeared into our side room, probably trying to hook up another computer to connect to the software that Edward was using. I snorted; Rosalie has to be the best at something, or there's no reason doing it.

The appearance of a new message caught my eye as I turned back to the bright screen, my eyes burning from the intensity of staring at it for hours.

_Really, Bella, I thought that we were past the evasiveness. _

I stared at the screen, uncomprehending.

_Yet again, I have no idea what you're talking about, Cullen._

I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of using his first name. Not yet.

_You really don't know, do you, BELLA?_

Oh God, I could hear his amused voice in my head. The silky softness of it, the way it seemed to flow through the air effortlessly with each movement of his lips…

_I wouldn't be badgering you if I did._

How could someone ever come to be so…cocky? From what I had already seen of him, and learned of him, he didn't seem like the kind of person that had earned the right to be. He must be pretty sure of himself.

I scowled at the reply he gave me.

_Or maybe you just like me, Bella. (;_

Ew. He uses smiley faces? How immature. I smirked at his childishness, but then that was quickly gone when I realized I had been taking more time to reply to him than usual. If I knew him the way I thought I did, he would take that as a sign that I was hesitating. Spies were supposed to be amazing at lying; and here I was, totally proving that I was the opposite of what a spy was. Great.

_You wish, Cullen. Nice smiley._

By now Rosalie was back in the room, looking eagerly at the page that our instant messaging had created. She started snickering when she reached the bottom of the conversation, and I glared at her, unforgiving. This was _so_ not funny.

"Whatever. You know that it would be hilarious if it was me, talking to that Emmett guy," she snickered.

I hit her over the head just as another message appeared.

_It was for your benefit. What are you doing for dinner?_

I might have passed out right there if Rose hadn't grabbed the board from me, typing furiously for my answer as I looked on, awed.

_What'd you have in mind?_

"ROSALIE?!" I shouted, outraged at what she was insinuating with my enemy. Did she seriously just give him an opening to ask me out, without my permission?!

"What? You know you want to see him again. And it will give me a chance to hack without him totally watching my every move." She scowled, a clear case of rotten lemonade. She mustn't have been able to track him to his computer.

_Nothing special…I just thought we could talk._

I snorted. Talk? Yeah, right. And sneaky, pouncing lions weren't dangerous.

Ignoring the gawking Rosalie as she practically burst into hysterics beside me, I typed back quickly while I scanned over the file that she had brought up on one of the other monitors.

_Sorry. I'm…busy. Gotta have girl time._

Then I quickly got rid of the file, disposing of it on the computer, not waiting for his smug reply. Jeez, how was it possible to like someone one minute—with the glorious thrill of danger as well—and then completely hate the guy the next second?

I had about a minute to look at the file that my eyes were frantically searching, before the screen jerked itself from my view as a recognizable logo appeared in front of me. I growled.

_We're sorry. Your connection has been broken, courtesy of EdwardCHacking._

I'm going to kill him.

* * *

Before I could reach for the poison I kept under my mattress, Rosalie and I jumped at the start of a knock on our door. I scrambled up to get it as Rosalie went back to ogling at the computer screen, her fingers clacking over the keys noisily.

We didn't have peep holes, so I opened the door hesitantly, surprised to see one of my classmates from last year, standing there.

"Um…Hey, Mike. What's up?" I asked shakily as I opened the door wider, revealing my tattered plaid pajama pants and T. He gulped audibly before thrusting a small box toward me hastily.

"What's this?" I asked warily.

"Um…t-the new guy, Cullen, I think that's what his name was," he murmured, "asked me to get this to you."

I immediately stiffened at the sound of his name, not liking that fact that he already knew people I did. And I didn't really know what he could be giving me—unless it was a bomb or something much, much worse…like a flower. Then there was definitely no holding back—I would kill him.

I shut the door with my foot without saying thank you, holding the package at arms length.

Rosalie looked up from her hacking to see me frowning at the small box.

"What's that?" she asked curiously, coming closer to me to inspect it.

"I think it's a bomb."

She gave me an unbelieving look as she reached for it excitedly.

"Who's it from?"

I gulped. "Edward."

She giggled, ripping off top half of the box as I gasped at her foolishness.

"Rose! What if it's a bomb?!" I cringed away from it as she snickered and shoved my shoulder, pushing the tiny thing into my face.

"Does that look like a bomb to you?" she inquired smugly.

I stood there, staring, stunned at the brilliance of it. Why would he give me something like this?! It must have been way more valuable than anything that I owned…It was an exquisite emerald, lain into an intricate gold band that sparkled with tiny diamonds. It was probably worth over thousands of dollars.

Before I had the right state of mind to run and give it back to Mike, a tiny piece of paper fell from the box. I paused, picking it up delicately, reading the perfect script there.

**_So I'm always on your mind._**

I giggled nervously, thinking that there had to be some way of getting this back to him without having to deal with him rejecting it…but when I looked back at the beautiful jewel, I couldn't help but try it on—perfect fit.

I sighed contentedly, thinking that I could always give it back tomorrow.

* * *

Dinner came earlier than usual. Probably because Rosalie had fallen asleep and I didn't have the chance to wake up for it on time, thus I was stumbling toward the glass doors around that time, looking like I had just rolled out of bed—which I did.

The woman swiped my card, eyeing me furtively—I guess she remembered Edward from that afternoon, and unfortunately me as well. Since Rose didn't want to get up to get food, I figured I would sneak some out for her. I grabbed my own appetizing meal and looked around the crowded tables for someone I could sit with.

It was then that I caught Angela Weber's eye and she smiled at me, waving her hand for me to sit with her. I quickly obliged, pulling a chair up beside her.

"Hey, Ange, how was your summer?" I asked politely, digging into my sub.

"It was great! You won't believe what happened!" she squealed, her eyes twinkling and full of longing. I laughed, looking directly across the table toward Benjamin Cheney who was blushing and ducking his head behind a comic book.

I waggled my eyebrows at him, turning to face her, and she nodded, her grin spreading wider, if that was even possible. I laughed joyously for her, feeling a twinge of jealousy that she found someone that she could like, that shared the same feelings. Sometimes being single was such a pain.

"What about you? Do anything exciting this summer?" she inquired, trying to return my kindness. I sighed, realizing I couldn't exactly tell her about the more time consuming part of my summer, which involved training camps and agent tests, which were so much more fun than any test given in school.

"Oh, the usual, I spent it with Charlie."

She smiled sympathetically, and I could tell that she was feeling sorry for me. She knew how boring Forks, Washington was, and she avoided going back there to her own family as much as possible. It was easy to see how we got along.

After finishing dinner and sneakily collecting some extra food for Rose in my bag, I swiftly left the building, looking up at the clear night sky. It would be such a nice night to go out. A devious plan came into my head as I thought this, thinking that maybe I could have one last trip outside the school's walls before school began.

Running back to my dorm, I dumped the food for Rosalie and my bag on my bed, grabbed my keys and cell phone, and ran straight back out.

It was easy to stick to the shadows, undetected by the cameras that followed any movement. Besides, Carlisle would understand my want for freedom, one last time before I was sentenced to imprisonment. My eyes searched along the granite wall in front of me, looking for the brick that stuck out, that looked odd among the others.

Finding it, I smiled as I pulled the loose wall out, quickly hitting in the code for the wall to open. It did, revealing a small passageway that I could easily walk through. I looked from my left to my right, making sure that no one was following me before entering, not looking back.

* * *

The road that led down to the main town was nicely lit and I could walk along the sidewalk without getting odd glances from the students that went to the public school here; they were incredibly jealous of us, and tended to pull pranks on the students at my school, often resulting in a feud between the school and the town.

It was all rather hilarious to me, but I decided that I didn't exactly want to run into any public school kids and be badgered or questioned by them.

The night was amazing, the clouds cleared away revealing the stars that were not so easily seen in large cities. There was a light breeze that ruffled my skirt, causing goose flesh to appear, but I kept walking, reveling in my newly found freedom.

It was then that I noticed the bright lights and sound coming from a smaller area of the town. A carnival of some sort had been set up, posters plastered over the wrought iron fence that ran parallel from me toward the open area. Digging my hands into my jeans, I decided that it wouldn't be too bad an idea to check it out—I hadn't been to a town carnival since I was eight.

The closer that I came to the striped tents, the louder the cheesy, carnie songs became. I had to laugh at my situation; here I was, a fancy boarding school-secret operative, sneaking out to check out a town carnival. I bet Rose would get a load of that one.

I didn't have a lot of money, but I figured what the heck? I was already sneaking out, might as well have some fun with it.

I bought cotton candy at a concession stand, smiling at the old man that worked there. He grinned his toothy smile at me while I walked off in search of some cheap games that I might play.

The grass under my feet was strewn with garbage, popcorn cases and pieces of funnel cakes and tickets; I didn't envy the person who had to clean up after this. The lights surrounding me grew brighter as it became darker, the music just as loud.

There was bobbing for apples, which was easy to see wasn't exactly a main event; some kids were going on the small Ferris wheel they had managed to set up on the other side of the tents; teenagers my age loitered uselessly around the 'pop the balloon' and 'dunk the teacher' games.

Not realizing that I myself was wandering aimlessly, I searched for a game to play. The one I was standing in front of was simple enough; toss a penny into the open jar of a container and win a prize. Only problem was, the jar's opening was hardly bigger than my thumb's fingernail.

Paying money for the pennies and the game, I picked one up carefully and aimed, my tongue sticking out in concentration. It flipped through the air delicately and landed, spinning precariously on the edge of the lid. I bit my lip in anticipation, but it fell off, not making an effort to go in for me.

I scowled, trying again with my second penny.

By the time I only had two pennies left, I was seriously frustrated. How does anyone win this game? The booth keeper laughed lightly at my attempts, giving me an apologetic look when I glared at him. He seemed nice enough though—nice enough to rip me off of fifteen pennies and five bucks.

My second to last shot was much like the rest—it gave me an inch of hope of going in, and then didn't. Slumping my shoulders, I figured I should just toss the last one and get it over with. But the obnoxious laugh behind me caused enough distraction for me to forget about the game.

Turning, I saw a group of teens, maybe my age, a little older perhaps, leaning against the dunk tank and watching me with bemused expressions. At first, I was embarrassed, surely blushing the brightest shade that my cheeks could go; then I was confused when I tried to figure out who had laughed.

A dark figure in the shadows of the tank stepped forward, his chiseled face turned upward into a friendly smirk. He wasn't the most gorgeous person I had ever seen—Edward claimed that title—but he must have been the second. It was easy to see what his heritage was, his darkened skin reflecting under the shadows of the lights. His bushy brows were raised upward, darkening his black eyes.

I ripped my face away from his gaze, more embarrassed than before, and went back to carelessly throwing my last shot. But when I was about to throw, he was beside me, leaning against the banister, his arms keeping him up.

I tried not to stare at the muscles of his biceps, flexing visibly under the booth's light. I gulped.

"Want me to show you how it's done?" he asked, his voice deep and resonating as it crossed through the air toward me in wavelengths.

Shakily, I nodded, smiling at him as he paid for his pennies and looked over at me with another smile.

"The trick with this game is to not become too involved with it. If you think about it too much, if you try and get the angle just right, you won't win." He grinned, flicking his first penny off of his thumb carelessly while he was still gazing at my nonchalant expression.

With a light _plop _the penny landed among the others on the bottom of a jar. He smirked, clearly proud of himself. There were giggles sounding right behind me, and I turned again to find that most of the teenage girls I had seen tonight were watching him with awed and lust filled expressions.

Snorting, I watched as the booth keeper handed him a large brown and black wolf-like stuffed dog, clearly unhappy that someone had found out how to work his game.

The boy turned back to me, smiling slightly and offering me the stuffed creature.

"Hey, you won it, keep it," I tried, but he just shook his head.

"I know how badly you wanted to win; here." I finally took it, holding it under my arm as I toyed with the last penny in my hand, wondering if I should keep _that _as a reminder of where I got the wolf, what game I played.

He moved closer to me, lowering his voice, "I'm Jacob Black. Nice to meet you."

I shivered, his voice sending chills down my spine.

"Bella." I nodded, acknowledging his name.

"Well, Bella, I've never seen you around before. Visiting folks?" he asked, curious as his eyes bore holes into my face.

I smiled. "Not exactly."

He grunted as if he knew what that was like. Suddenly, I remembered that the gates would be locked if I didn't get back by midnight. Pulling out my phone while balancing the wolf with my other hand, I looked at the time.

_11:49 p.m._

Crap. Frantically, I looked around for where I had come from. I spotted the opening and started rushing to it, but a warm, firm hand grasped my arm.

"Hey, where are you going? In such a hurry to get away from me?" His smile was teasing, but his eyes held a twinge of fear and panic.

I didn't want to be mean, but I didn't want to get locked out of my own school.

"No, it's not that, I just have to meet someone somewhere," I said hurriedly, looking around him for the sidewalk.

His shoulders slumped and his smile faltered.

"Oh. I get it, a boyfriend?" I don't know what it was, but the resigned tone in his voice made me guilty; as if I didn't want him to think that I was taken. He eyed the ring that Edward had given me a few hours earlier, and I hadn't realized that I still had it on. It felt cold and raw against my bony finger, and I blushed, noticing that he thought the ring was given by my 'boyfriend.' Yeah, Edward was my boyfriend--pfft, and mountain lions aren't dangerous.

"No, it's nothing like that." His face immediately lit up and I had to refrain from giggling as he let go of my arm. The warmth vanished, replaced by a cold draft that made me shiver.

"Oh. Well that's great!" he enthused. I laughed at his cheerfulness while he blushed scarlet under his deep russet tones.

"I mean…it's nice to know," he concluded. Again, I realized my rush for time and finally closed the conversation.

"I'm really sorry, but I do have to go. Nice meeting you Jacob," I mumbled, shuffling past the booth where I met him. At a last seconds notice, I flicked the penny toward one of the jars, not bothering to see if it went in.

But as I walked away from the mysterious Jacob Black, I heard a faint _plop, _and smiled to myself.

--

* * *

Review...please?

* * *


	5. Surprises

* * *

_Such is the inconsistency of real love, that it is always awake to suspicion, however unreasonable; always requiring new assurances from the object of interest._

_-Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, 1764_

.

_Soundtrack: (Nu Nu; Fannypack.)_

* * *

By the time I reached the gate, I was shaken over everything that had happened. What if he found out who I was? What if he found out where I went to school? Surely I would be under supervision from then on, and the gate would be closed off from me. I didn't want that—I wanted the freedom that I had partaken in tonight.

Shivering again, I reached the padded brick and quickly descended the stairs, only to ascend again on the other side. As the wall shut behind me, I heard a low chuckle and whipped around, my heart racing furiously.

"How was your night out?" he asked, looking as innocent and gorgeous as ever under the pale moonlight.

I glared, uncomprehending as to how he could have known…

Oh. I can't believe how stupid I had been. The ring—it must have had a camera in it. Of course he would pull something this clever and sneaky, especially when I was so naïve to trust it. I slipped the ring off behind my back, already feeling the loss of it on my finger.

I shifted the wolf that I held in my arm to the other side, uncomfortable with the way his eyes narrowed at the object. They flashed upwards toward my face, and then back at the stuffed animal with obvious disgust, though he said nothing about it. So I didn't either.

"It was great, thanks. By the way, I think you left something at my dorm," I said, holding out the ring for his inspection.

Edward stepped forward, his face only showing curiosity as recognition dawned on his features and he grinned that evil smirk. Instead of taking it, he folded my fingers around it, keeping it captive in my palm. The moment his hand touched mine, I jerked it back, shocked at how cold his hands were—and the fact that the place where he touched my knuckles was now tingling—though I would never admit to that.

"That was a present for you. Not something I forgot." He chuckled, amused and started walking off while I stood there, dumbfounded.

"Hey!" I called after him, jogging to keep up with his long stride.

"Yes?" was his musical reply.

Panting, I slowed down to a walk beside him on the cement covered path. "What are you doing out here anyways, stalking me?" I asked, pretty sure of what the answer was.

His smile stayed in place, but his eyes were burning with intensity as he looked down at me, replying, "Definitely."

And, as before, he seemed to think that maybe toying with me was the better way to go, and changed his answer, not breaking my gaze or his stride.

"Maybe."

Huffing, I turned away from him, frustrated. He always seemed to know what I was thinking, and yet he was such a puzzle to me, always mysterious. I wondered if anyone really knew what he was like without the mask.

"No, they don't." His face was hard, and he wasn't looking at me.

With a horror, I realized I must have voiced my thoughts out loud. I groaned, annoyed at myself for being so inattentive to what my mouth was blurting out when I wasn't focused entirely on the situation. Scowling, I kicked the sidewalk beneath our feet, no longer trying to keep pace with him.

However, he slowed so that his steps were fewer and he practically stood next to me. I chanced a glance at my phone and found that it was already past midnight, and that I would have to call Rose to get her to open the door for me. Then a thought occurred to me.

"How are you going to get back into your dorm?" I cocked my head to the side, measuring his reaction carefully. A sly smile pulled across his face as he too realized what I had been thinking, and then answered almost smugly, "Well, it seems that my new _roomie_," if the sarcasm he was using wasn't evident enough, I would have thought he was serious—"is your…_boyfriend _Jasper."

I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks in a flash, covering my entire face up to my hairline. I ducked my head, trying to hide my embarrassment, but I felt that he must have already known. He chuckled again. Curious, I lifted my head back up.

"You're in a good mood tonight," I commented vaguely as I began dialing Rosalie's number to let me up to the room.

"Why would you say that?" he asked, slightly offended and intrigued at the same time.

I shrugged.

"You've been laughing a lot, and smiling more than usual. I would guess it's not a normal mood for you…" I trailed off, leaving him to his thoughts as Rosalie's groggy voice came across the phone line.

"Rose?"

"What the…?" Came her confused reply.

"Rose, I'm really sorry, but could you come let me in? I was out and the doors are locked…"

"Bella, I swear you owe me for this."

"Of course." I heard her shuffling and took that as a sign to hang up. I came to a stop at the front steps and couldn't believe that it was still the same day. It felt like it had been days since Edward and I had stood here…I sat down and pulled the wolf-dog onto my lap, not wanting a repeat of what had happened earlier after lunch.

Edward dug his hands into his pockets, shivering when a light wind breezed by. He looked comfortable enough though, staring at something down the sidewalk that I couldn't see.

"You know, it doesn't have to be this difficult." I jumped, startled at how loud his voice sounded compared to how silent it had been. Confused, my eyebrows scrunched together as I tried to understand what this Greek God was insinuating. Surely he would be referring to the mission; probably trying to convince me to just give over to him…he wouldn't be talking about our odd relationship which teetered on the edge of friends and enemies.

Surely.

"What are you talking about now?" I asked, frustrated again that he was so hard to read. Why couldn't he just be an open person? Oh, right, because we're spies and we're trained to hide emotions and just do our jobs. Can't forget that little detail. I scowled.

He cocked his head to the side, clearly bemused.

"What?" I snapped, just as Rosalie pushed open the door with a loud _clang _appearing very ruffled and irritated as her sleepy eyes gazed at me. I looked back and forth between her and Edward who just stood there watching my reaction as Rosalie registered I wasn't the only one there.

Her eyes popped wide open, alert and awake now as she processed what was in front of her. She raised her eyebrows at me and I shook my head, a sign that I would explain later. She nodded her head, making it clear that I _would _explain—or else.

"Well, thanks for walking me home, Edward," I said, ignoring the odd thrill it gave me to say his name. I stepped after Rose who had disappeared into the dark hallway. He grinned, for the first time that day, and my breath caught in my throat at the side of it. His lips pulled up lopsidedly, and though it wasn't perfect like the smiles on magazines, it had the same effect—it was just as cute as he was gorgeous.

Shaking my head to get ride of those thoughts, I turned around and stumbled my way back to my dorm room, holding the souvenir from Jacob.

--

Morning came and I groaned; Rosalie's voice nagging in my ear as something hard and heavy landed on my head. Shifting onto my side, I buried my head in my pillow as I heard her pull open the shades, blinding me with sunlight.

We had stayed up late enough that night, talking about what had happened that I just wanted nothing but sleep—and a warm blanket. But as I pulled the stupid little stuffed animal (which I had no clue at how it got there) towards my chest, I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement run through me at seeing Edward today.

_Oh, God Bella, you _are _falling for him._ I groaned again.

"Come on, Bella, get up! Class starts in forty-five minutes, and you still have to take a shower. Your hair looks like a mess, and you haven't even picked out your outfit; so I took the liberty to do so for you." She smirked, clearly proud of her planning as she bustled around the room, checking her mascara and picking out an apple from the tiny kitchen area in the side room.

Mumbling about not being a morning person, I sluggishly made my way to the adjoined sink and washed my face, grabbing my toiletries and my key. I headed out the door toward the shared bathroom where I could already hear the girls running water and giggling about the day ahead of us.

Sighing, I pushed it open, only to be met by steam and giggles.

--

Getting ready never took me nearly as long as Rosalie, which unnerved her. My hair was still wet, so I pulled it up loosely into a clip at the nape of my neck and pushed my bangs to the side. I ignored the glamorous ring that sat on my bedside table now, only glancing at it longingly.

Rose had tried to convince me to wear some make-up, just a smudge of eyeliner, but I absolutely refused. There was no way that I was letting her anywhere near me with that clown paint. Instead, I settled for the natural look, and peeled a banana as we headed out the doors of the dormitories. The sun was already half-way up the sky, providing Rosalie with plenty of excuses to wear her new Gucci sunglasses; not that she wouldn't have worn them if the day was cloudy anyways.

She strutted ahead of me, not bothering to tell me to meet up for lunch. I shook my head, laughing to myself; Rosalie would be Rosalie. I finished off my banana and tossed it into the trashcan nearest to me, just as someone called out my name.

"Bella! Bella!"

I turned, finding a very disheveled Jasper running toward me in all his morning glory. I laughed, noticing his blonde hair in disarray on top of his pale head as he tried to tuck in the shirt of his uniform into his khaki pants.

Panting as he stopped beside me, he grinned widely before walking again, taking out chap stick from his messenger bag as well as his schedule and other papers.

"So, guess who's my new roommate?" he asked innocently and I groaned, extracting concerned glances from him. I tried to hide my anger and frustration at him, but it was hard, and he always seemed to know how I was feeling; it was unnerving.

"Bella, what's up?"

"I know who your roommate is," I mumbled, not looking him in the eye as we headed toward the building that held classes. It was later than I thought, and students were scurrying around trying to find their classes, mostly freshmen, asking seniors and juniors which way to go for this and that…

"Really?" Jasper's eyebrows shot up in surprise and curiosity, but I studiously ignored it, focusing on my first class of the day.

"What class do you have first?" I asked, trying to distract him from the previous conversation. He looked at me firmly for a second, his lips pressing into a tight line before he glanced at the paper in his hands. The sunlight bounced brightly off of it, momentarily blinding me before he held it back down by his side.

"I've got trig with Henderson first, then chemistry with Lyons…" I stopped listening as soon as I saw him. He was walking carelessly down the sidewalk, going in the same direction that Jasper and I were heading. His shirt was messily un-tucked, the first three buttons propped open exposing part of his toned chest. He had his hands in his pockets again, one of the straps on his backpack hanging off of his shoulder and his hair looked like it hadn't seen a brush in weeks—but it still managed to look perfect.

Jasper noticed my distraction and smiled, tugging on my ear.

"Hello? Earth to Bella? You've got drool hanging out of your mouth."

I quickly wiped the back of my hand over my mouth, thinking that he was serious. He laughed boisterously as I hit him upside the head with my folders and schedule as he took off running away from me.

I rolled my eyes and chased after him, somewhat slower, cautious about tripping.

"Jasper! Come back here! You'd better watch your back!" I panted as I slowed to a stop and he whirled around, running backwards. It was then that I noticed the smaller girl directly behind him, not paying attention at all.

Before I could shout a warning, he ran into her, toppling over sideways as she dropped her things. I gasped, and then tried not to laugh at how flustered he had become.

I walked over, hearing a beautiful sound right behind me—I tried not to focus too much on the fact that Edward was laughing, obviously watching the whole thing.

"…I'm so, so, so, so, sorry! Really, if you want to hit me—" I had never seen Jasper at such a loss for words—or speaking so many of them at one time, for that matter. His usually pale cheeks were flushed crimson, and his mouth was going a mile a minute as he leaned over to help the girl with her books.

"Really, it's alright. Honest mistake." She laughed, her voice teetering on the edge of soprano and alto as she laughed musically…like someone else I know.

Then she stood up and I fidgeted, uncomfortable. It was one of the other agents—and Jasper didn't know that. Heck, Jasper didn't really know anything. The only reason he was allowed in on our secret, is because he usually can help. He can somehow sense when people are lying, what they're up to—it's like a sixth sense, though Rosalie and I never mention it to him. He's also useful in pursuing people; I could hardly imagine Rose chasing after someone in her Jimmy Choos. And with my clumsy record, I wasn't going to get anywhere.

Mary Alice's picture did not justify her. Sure, her picture was stunning, but the full effect of seeing her in person was enough to render me, as well as Jasper, speechless. Her tiny little lips pulled into a perfect smile, showing off her gorgeous white teeth as she straightened up and faced Jasper full on.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered, openly staring at her beauty, although that beauty was about three heads shorter than him.

Finally, he regained some composure and held out a hand for her to shake.

"Jasper Whitlock. Do you need help around the school? I've never seen you around," he admitted, his grin pulling slightly into a confused and frustrated frown. I, however, rolled my eyes. Dear Lord, we did _not _need another of our own people falling for the enemy. Seriously, did they specifically send these people over because they _knew _what we were looking for in a relationship?

Not that Edward was anything near my type. The whole mysterious and stalking façade was getting old fast, and just because he seemed to be perfect and beautiful didn't mean that he was at all right for me.

Not at all.

"Full name's Mary Alice. But you can call me Alice," she said, smiling and shaking his hand with her delicate, tiny one. He grasped hers, his large hand devouring hers as he smiled down at _Alice._ Wonder why she chose to put her real name out in the open like that…

"Well, then, Alice, do you need an escort?" Ugh, no, Jasper!

"Please," she pleaded, gesturing for him to lead as she pulled out her schedule and they walked away from me.

"Yeah, good-bye to you too, Jasper," I mumbled under my breath as I stalked toward my first class. First Rosalie, now Jasper. Was there no Justice in the world?! I seemed to be the only one who was at least _trying _to resist the enemy—even if that resisting was failing horribly. I can't help but remember how willing I was to close that distance between our lips…

"What, no escort for me?" an alluring voice asked, bringing me back to the present. I turned, already knowing who it was, and didn't want to give in to his intense gaze.

"Not unless you want to wind up lost," I grumbled, not looking up at his face. I would prefer to stay in reality and not get lost into those depthless eyes…

"Oh. Well, that's a shame," he said, moving closer as his aroma hit my nostrils with such force that my eyes watered. It smelled the same as last time, only more concentrated now. The vanilla won out over all of the other scents, and I almost closed my eyes, basking in it. But then I remembered the gorgeous man standing in front of me, and quickly pushed those thoughts out of my mind.

"Yes. It is," I replied curtly, turning again to go into class.

Then his cool hand caught my wrist and the tingling feeling came back, my toes curling against my command. I shivered involuntarily and finally looked up at him, his expression serious. I really needed something to distract me—I was getting way too close to this guy. Surely it was all just a decoy…

"Bella," he breathed, his breath fanning across my cheeks, "you need to stop trying to avoid this."

Something clicked in my brain, but I didn't want to acknowledge it. I didn't want myself to know the truth of what I had been so sure was a lie, and what I was so sure now had to be one as well. I couldn't simply just go along with what he was insinuating—sure, everyone else was, but that was why I needed to keep my own. And there were plenty of other people I could get involved with, that were normal; without the complications. Like Jacob; mysterious, alluring, cute, kind, Jacob.

I sighed.

"No, Edward, I need to stop daydreaming," I said, my tone ringing with finality. He released his hold on me, almost glaring as he comprehended what I was saying. He must understand—as agents, we really can't get involved with anyone—simply for their own good. And his father was an example of that.

Oh, God, Carlisle…

The thought of Edward's father, whom was probably sitting as his desk and watching us furtively as well, made me immediately realize what the time was. Everyone around us was hurrying to class as we stood, blocking their way in the middle of the hall.

I moved somewhat away from Edward, toward the door at the end of the hall as he stood stock still, staring at me.

"Isabella Swan, you are utterly impossible." He shook his head as a bright blush flushed my cheeks and my temper flared.

"No, my life is impossible," I corrected him, turning and walking toward class, just as a familiar voice rang out down the hall.

"Bella?"

"Jacob?" What was he doing here? He didn't go to school here—and I had hoped that he didn't know that _I _did. But apparently that thought flew out the window.

He practically ran toward me, picking me up in a big bear hug that lifted my feet off the ground. I gasped, surprised; we had only met each other last night, and yet he was just as enthusiastic. The teacher that had been escorting him around looked just as shocked as I was at this motion, but he put me down, not even glancing at her.

"I didn't know that you went here!" he exclaimed, utterly and completely jubilant. I shot a glance at Edward who looked bewildered, but still managed to narrow his eyes dangerously at Jacob. Just then, the warning bell rang and I expected Edward to run off to class, but he stood where he was.

"Jake, what are you doing here?" I asked, confused and frustrated and nervous at the same time. If he told Edward where he had met me, then Edward could use him as a threat if he ever got a hold of him—of if he presumed that I had feelings for Jacob. Which…I wasn't sure of anymore. God, high school was too much drama without involving federal missions with it as well!

"My dad wanted me to check it out; said that he wanted me to get a better education." He grimaced just as the unnerved teacher called out to him.

"Mr. Black, you are holding up these students, and I must get back to my classroom."

"Sure, sure," he waved her off as he grinned down at me.

"I gotta go. See you around later?" he looked at me hopefully and all I could do was nod. He ran off, and I could practically see the tail trailing along after him. He was so much like a dog, or some sort of loyal animal, though at the moment I was too confused and utterly out of it that I couldn't think of any others.

Someone cleared their voice beside me and I meekly looked out of the corner of my eye to see Edward, raising his eyebrow after Jacob.

I ignored it, walking toward my class.

"Just someone I met…last night," I sniffed like it was nothing. He followed silently behind me and then passed by me as I headed into class.

--

The teacher wasn't pleased that I was late, but because it was the first day, she decided that I would get by excused. I didn't see Edward or Jacob for the rest of the day, not even at lunch. By then I had my last class left, and I wasn't thrilled to go to it either—I had at least one class with each of the other operatives, and it was easy to tell that they made the connection between my file and myself.

I strolled into Mr. Banner's classroom, already knowing him from the previous year's class—Advanced Earth Science, which I would tell anyone who listened was dreadful. His monotone voice didn't make the subject anymore interesting.

"Here's your seating chart, there won't be any changes, so don't bother asking," he announced, heading toward his wooden desk with his ancient computer sitting atop it, the lame posters hanging around the area reflecting it's light.

I glanced at the poorly drawn out map of the classroom, the lab tables displaying our last names in the seats of two. I noticed Mike Newton's name and tried not to outwardly show my disdain—I just hoped that he wouldn't bother me during class like he did last year—I think that the embarrassment that I endured then was enough to last a lifetime.

I searched the paper for my name, and found it quickly.

_Swan._

Then I paused, wanting to know who I was going to be partners with for the year; Oh God. No, no, no, no, NO!

"Looks like we're going to be partners," he murmured, his hand briefly going up to trace underneath his name as he turned to take his seat in the middle of the room beside mine. Still shocked, I made my way numbly over to the chair beside him as he sat down in a fluid motion. I scowled, immediately jealous of his gracefulness.

"Alright class," Mr. Banner said, clapping his hands for emphasis; "This is the start of a new year. However, we all know that on first days we generally do nothing, so why don't you get to know your partner a bit more? Then I'll pass out the syllabus at the end of class."

He smiled, like he was doing us all a favor. Yeah, in my case, I hated him at that moment. Mr. Banner was usually my favorite teacher, but in the case, he wasn't helping at all.

I leaned my head forward so that my hair fell over the side of my face that was open to Edward, shielding me from his gaze as he turned his chair to look at me with that crooked grin of his.

"So, partner, what do you want to talk about?" he asked cheekily, smirking the whole time. I ignored him, aimlessly doodling on my notebook and staring straight ahead of me. He sighed, the smile slipping from his face as he realized I wasn't going to play his game—not this time.

"Bella, really, I'm _trying _to be friends with you," he pleaded.

I didn't look at him, answering, "We're not supposed to be friends. And you know that."

"How very much I do. But I also don't care about rules; and I want to be your friend very much, Isabella Marie Swan," he said, saying my full name beautifully. I tried to resist the urge to look at him—and failed. Horribly. When I turned to his face, his eyes were pleading, smoldering at me ferociously. I stared back, unwilling to be the one to break our gaze.

"What if I told you I didn't just want to be your friend?" I blurted, unaware of how long the silence between us had lasted. My breathing was erratic and I was shaking as I waited for his answer, a cold sweat breaking out on my hands.

He looked away, a faint smile curling up at the corners of his lips. When he turned back toward me, I almost fainted from not breathing for so long.

"Then, I'd say…" he deliberated, making me wait in anticipation, "that you aren't the only one who wants that."

I let out the pent up air just as I was about to respond, asking _how _we could ever work anything like that out, when Mr. Banner interrupted us.

"Alright, alright. So, I lied, and you will have to learn _something _today." At the sound of our groans, his brow furrowed and he took on his 'I'm not taking any of your crap' stance.

I sighed, swiveling in my seat to face Mr. Banner.

* * *

Author's note: The previous note that was here, talked about the poll that I have on my profile--I would love it if you guys go and take it, if you haven't already. I haven't totally decided on what I want to do with this story, but I have a ton of ideas, and that one is a major one. So please, go check it out!

Also, this chapter was mostly a filler one, but I promise that the next one will have some more action in it:

_**Next time on 'Definitely, Maybe' :**  
Bella takes matters into her own hands--after learning that Edward might feel the same way about her, she realizes that she can't know the truth until she does some re con--and that requires bugs, wires, and a helpful Jasper at night. But will what she hear change her mind, or only make her fall harder for the mysterious operative? And what will happen when Edward finds out that Jacob was accepted into the academy?  
But wait, what is Edward's boss going to do when he doesn't deliver immediately? New operatives are being sent?!_

Sorry, I just wanted to do a 'next time' thing. XD Any questions, review or PM, thanks!

* * *


	6. Conniving

OH WOW. So, yeah, I've been a terrible author, totally neglecting my stories. ): To those of you reading my other ones, please be patient as I am piled high in AP course homework, and seeing as I'm a frosh, that's saying something. Add that plus volleyball practice. OO'

So, anyways, here are a few things I thought I'd explain for you guys:

**The CIA story: **Yes, they are all in the CIA; people in the CIA don't always get along with one another, and the CIA doesn't operate together as a whole--many things go on simultaneously. So, in that case, they were all hired by different people trying to gain advantage over the other. Hope that helps explain that. (:

**All Human? : **So far, yes. But I have a brilliant idea up my sleeve for later in this story that might possibly involve a feral disease--and this disease isn't ordinary. (hint, hint!)

**Jacob: **Jacob is...Jacob. XD Things will be explained later in the story, but as far as you know, he's just a regular town-boy. (:

**Edward: **Edward...what to say about him, other than the fact that I can't say yet whether or not he's playing with Bella? Read to find out, kids! (:

**Chancers: **Due to the overwhelming poll results that many people did in fact want another lovely relationship for Bella to explore--he is the result. XD If you wish to change those results, go VOTE! and maybe, I'll change what I have Chance doing in the future...(:

* * *

_Its choice--not chance--that determines your destiny.  
-Jean Nidetch_

.

_Soundtrack: (Life Is A Highway; Rascal Flatts)_

* * *

Falling onto the comforters of the Tacoma Boarding School's beds was like gently landing on clouds—literally. I collapsed onto my bed, tired from the day that I had. Trying to avoid Edward after class proved a lot of work—he was probably one of the best spies that I had ever come in contact with. But, being invisible in a school so big helped me learn how to blend in and easily get rid of tails.

So, as I finally made it to my bedroom and found myself comfortably snuggled into the heavenly pillows, I couldn't help but think of how easily I had given into Edward's words.

His looks were most likely what got him instated into this business. They made me forget that he was a conniving snake that was trying to get what I was trying to protect…which I still hadn't figured out what that was. The fact that he was so smug about the whole ordeal made me even angrier—he wasn't helping the situation by playing with my emotions. But then again, that was what he was supposed to do.

I needed therapy.

Rolling over, my eyes came into contact with the plain white ceiling, which had the little indents of Italian designs on them. Puzzled, I stared harder, trying to figure out why anyone would want to carve a design onto a ceiling, where so few people ever looked. I laughed to myself, seeing the irony in the situation and then laughed harder as the thought of the Sistine Chapel came to mind.

This was how Rosalie Hale found me, trapped in sheets, struggling for air as I hysterically giggled over ceilings.

"Um, I can come back later if you have an appointment with a psychologist…" she trailed off, looking slightly scared and amused.

I shook my head, my heart beating frantically as my stomach churned and burned from the after effects of my odd actions. She imitated my actions and threw her bag and sunglasses onto the opposite bed, sighing as she ran her hands through her luscious blonde hair. I ignored the stab of jealousy as I thought of how plain I was compared to her beauty.

"Sorry, just having an emotional heart attack," I tried to explain as I once again groaned into my pillows, resisting the urge to scream and look like a maniac, causing Rosalie to have even more reason to ask for a different roommate.

She waved her hand dismissively, her eyes lowering as the bags beneath them suddenly became visible as the sun continued to lower behind the horizon. She looked sallow, gauntly as she stared unseeingly at the wall in front of her, obviously contemplating something with her brow furrowed and her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Sitting up, I put my hand in my palm and studied her for a minute before lightly clearing my throat. She jumped slightly, unaware of my presence for a moment, and then smiled tightly.

"Sorry," she murmured, getting up and pacing toward her computer room.

I sighed, falling onto my back again as I thought of how these agents were affecting us—my _family_, or what I had thought of was my family. Jasper had been present in my life for years, and had often taken on the big brother role, although he was more one for discussions rather than violence. And Rosalie was…well, she was Rosalie. I couldn't describe exactly what she was to me, since she didn't seem like the kind of person that I could call my best friend, though that's how I saw her most of the time. She was distant, though she was always there for me—but we didn't click the way I usually did with some people. But, as I thought about it, that didn't really matter to me anymore.

Carlisle, the only person that I had ever fully confided in, was now someone I had to keep secrets from. His own _son _was the cause of that, and I couldn't help but feel guilty. All this time, and he had been kept away from _his _family, only to have his son come and find that he was going to be after me and my friends.

I couldn't imagine how hard that must be.

So that night, Rosalie and I grabbed the heaviest blankets and the softest pillows, and sat in the dark, watching the screen where movies we weren't really watching were being played.

--

It was two in the morning when my cell-phone buzzed, making me slap blindly onto my nightstand, searching for the damn thing. When my hand came in contact with it, my fingers numbly flipped it open and pulled it lazily to my ear.

"'Ello?" I slurred, my eyes still shut against the light that it was giving off.

"Bella?" Jasper's unusually calm voice came to me from the other line.

"What the hell do you want, Jasper?" I groaned, my head flopping back onto the pillows. He shushed me, trying to make me whisper, but at this hour, when I was barely awake, I really didn't care.

"Edward isn't in his bed. I got up to go to the bathroom, and he wasn't there. What the heck do you think he's doing?" Immediately, my eyes popped open and I surveyed the room around me, looking for any source of another person in the room besides the lightly snoring Rosalie.

Then, as I padded quietly across the carpeted floor, an idea came to mind. A smile slowly crawled across my face as I whispered urgently to Jasper.

"Jasper, I want you to get the wires and bugs that I gave you today out from underneath the floorboards." If I hadn't been so suspicious of Edward's actions earlier, I would have never given Jasper direct orders to hide those items carefully for further use. But as my masterful plan began to take over my mind, I realized how brilliant I must really be to unconsciously know what I would need in the future.

Maybe I was psychic.

"Erm…alright," came his genius reply. Shuffling on the other end told me that he was getting what I asked for, and I pulled on sweatpants and a sweater while I waited for his confirmation.

"Okay."

"Alright, I need you to do this for me…" And just like that, I had a surefire way of knowing what Edward Cullen was thinking.

--

When everything was in place, and I had been assured that Jasper wouldn't screw up, I made my way back to my dorm as the early light of dawn slowly made its way across the dark sky. Rosalie, not happy that for the second night in the row she was up early, had a devious smile on her face; probably thinking of the kind of torture she was going to put me through for this.

I tried not to think of everything that could happen to me in the next forty-eight hours, and instead on the tiny microphone that I held in my hand. I stuffed it into my ear and laid my head down, falling asleep to light buzz of the static.

--

It felt like it had only been minutes since I had fallen asleep, but the flashing numbers on my alarm clock told me differently. The sound of shuffling and low murmurs in my ear told me that the boys were awake and getting ready for school. Now was the time.

At first, it was seemed like hours passed before Jasper got the nerve to ask what I needed him to. But he didn't fail me as I had been so unfaithfully expecting.

"So, dude, where were you last night?" he asked, his voice marred and groggy with sleep. It sounded faint, the coms unit not working as well through the thin walls as I had hoped. At least I could hear them, though.

"What are you talking about?" snapped Edward, probably giving Jasper his deathly stare. I shivered, remembering what that look could do to me. Slinging my arms over my bed, I walked over to the closet to look for something to wear as I listened to their conversation.

Some would call it eavesdropping—others would say it was an invasion of privacy. I would say that there's a fine line between genius and insanity—and I haven't crossed it yet.

"Dude," Jasper said in his defensive voice, and I could practically picture him putting up his hands in front of his chest as I pulled on my favorite pair of jean-cut offs; "I'm just saying. You weren't in your bed at, like, two in the morning. Where the heck were you?" he asked as vaguely as he could. At that moment, I wondered why Jasper wasn't in the CIA; he could seriously do some damage. He was a better actor than _I _was.

Someone sighed, probably Edward. I still couldn't figure him out; he was vague and distant even around guys.

"I was just…out. I needed to take a walk," he replied, his voice sounded off even through the thin walls, traveling through the coms unit to me.  
As I studiously pilfered through the various shirts that were in my drawers, I couldn't help but feel an intense desire to comfort him, and tell him that everything would be alright, and that I could be there for him. That I wanted to be the only one he could come to when he was troubled. But knowing our predicament, I knew that that would never happen.

I would never be able to fully trust Edward Anthony Masen Cullen.

Jasper snorted. "Yeah, right."

Silence.

I couldn't imagine what Edward's face must have looked like then. I had only known him for two days, but I couldn't get over the odd attraction I felt for him. The weird connection that I could feel deep down, tugging at my body, trying to pull me closer to him.

Well, guess what heart? Not going to happen.

"Dude, I also wanted to ask you something more serious…" Jasper trailed off. My ears perked up, and I stopped what I was doing before resuming, listening acutely.

"What would that be?" Edward countered sarcastically. I could practically hear his eyes rolling.

"Do you…?" Jasper started, and then took a breath before continuing—"Do you like my…_girlfriend_?" He spit the word out. I almost laughed, but then he was asking another agent whether they liked me or not—laughing could wait until later. I was partially surprised that Jasper remembered my ill-thought out plan--he wasn't usually one to pay attention in panic crazed moments.

My heart was beating like crazy, waiting in anticipation of his answer. But instead of the words _yes _or _no _coming out of his mouth, I heard, "I'd rather not say at the moment."

And then static filled my ear as well as an overwhelming high-pitched siren, signaling that the connection had been cut.

I yanked the earpiece out, throwing it across the room in aggravation. Rosalie didn't stir as I stomped back and forth from the bathroom and our shared closet, angrily clasping and unclasping my hands. One way or another, Edward Cullen was going to be the death of me.

But as I staggered over to Rose's bed to wake her up, I decided it didn't matter what Edward thought of our non-existent relationship—because I didn't want to get in deeper than I already had to. I was an agent, and I would do what I was paid to do, simply because I had to do it. And if I didn't, who knows what could happen?

--

Weeks passed, and Edward barely paid any attention to me. Besides leaving the bugs that Jasper and I had planted on my desk, he didn't say anything to me other than the necessary times when we had to work as lab partners.

It was unnerving to know that I was the cause of the silent treatment that he seemed to be giving me, but at the same time, I knew it was for the better. The less distractions, the more I could learn about who sent him and what he was after.

However, I hadn't gotten far—Carlisle still refused, saying that he wasn't able to give me any other information than what he already had. He mentioned that not only was this an assignment, it was also my final instatement field test, proving me worthy of world-wide missions and assignments.

I was so thrilled to learn this new fact.

Yeah, right.

So as I tried to sneakily use my English teacher's computer to check the data base for any new information, I found myself utterly and completely bewildered when Jacob Black walked through the door in jeans and a T-shirt.

The girls that were situated on either side of me immediately stopped talking to ogle at him while most of the guys in the room glared (when in actuality, they were groaning inside)—they now had more competition than they bargained for.

He headed over to Mrs. Cunningham's desk where she scrutinized him under her eagle eyed gaze—her bird's beak pointing directly at him as he shifted uncomfortably, waiting for her verdict.

She finally murmured something to him, gesturing in my general area, and I almost screamed. I started silently pleading as he grinned broadly, thanking the teacher and strutting over to me during which time the girls took the time to glance longingly at his backside.

"Hey, Bella!" he said, plopping himself down onto my bench and letting his book bag drop onto the floor beside him. I immediately noticed the change in his appearance—his hair was cropped shorter, like a buzz cut, no longer tied at the nape of his neck. He was closer to me than I had ever been to him, not counting the time he had attacked me in the hallway. He smelled—indescribable. Not as good as Edward, but more musky and outdoorsy—like wood.

"Hello," I murmured, trying not to notice the jealous glares that I was already receiving from half of the female race. He smiled, grabbing a sheet of paper and noticing my preoccupied hands, which held my cell phone, propped open underneath the table.

"Texting?" he whisper-asked.

I nodded my head, not wanting to explain that I was actually trying very hard—and failing—at hacking the main frame that only took Rose seconds to do.

I sighed; this was going to be utterly impossible.

"So, what are you doing here? Your dad force you to come?" I asked conversationally, trying to veer the subject away from me and my illegal actions.

His face dimmed slightly, but his eyes shone elegantly as he looked back at my face.

"Nope," he replied happily, popping the 'p' with his lips.

I cocked my head to the side, questioning.

He sighed and ran a hand over his head, his hair now to short to play with or occupy him.

"At first I didn't want to come," he started, a light shade of red coloring his cheeks under the russet tones of his skin—"but then I found out that you went here, and I kind of…had a 'sudden epiphany'," he quoted, using his fingers as evidence; "and I wanted to come," he finished, his face now a reddish-brown mix as he waited for my rejection.

But as I opened my mouth to say something, a completely different thought filled my head.

"Wait—aren't you younger than me?" I blurted, unaware of how that could be taken.

His face immediately looked hurt, and shock filled his expression for a moment before he masked it into a carefully composed façade.

"Yeah…" he said, not looking me in the eye now. I felt like such an—

"Why?"

Jumping slightly at the sudden hostility in his voice, I turned to face his hardened features with a regretful, and hopefully artistic smile.

"Oh, well, I was just wondering how you could be in my English class if you're younger," I explained, hoping that he got it.

Understanding lit his face and he smiled genuinely back as the bell rang and the teacher dismissed us. He trailed along beside me, while Mike Newton—one of the few admirers that I had—narrowed his eyes at Jacob and walked silently behind as Jessica tried to engage him in conversation.

He chuckled once before explaining. "Well…I'm sort of…well, not really a genius, per say—" He pursed his lips, stroking his chin like a villain deliberating—"but, more of an abnormally gifted person. So I was placed in a few classes that normally a freshman wouldn't be taking."

I gaped at him, unable to believe that he was merely a freshman in high school; he was taller than me by at least seven inches!

Stopping abruptly, I realized that he had been following me this whole time as I absentmindedly found my feet leading me toward my Biology class. Resisting the urge to groan at the thought that I had to share this class with Edward, I hardly noticed when Jacob slipped inside right behind Mike and Jessica who watched us both curiously—Mike with a murderous expression, while Jessica's eyes filled lustfully.

What in the world…?

Hurrying inside I found Jacob handing Mr. Banner his schedule and conversing quietly with him as he gestured widely with his hands. Astounded and slightly dazed that the boy I had met nearly a couple weeks ago was now in two of my _Junior _classes, I walked over to my seat and found Edward already sitting there, silently staring at the wall, not acknowledging my presence.

"Hello, Edward," I said pleasantly. He didn't look away from the wall, but turned his head slightly and nodded as his greeting.

Okay, this was getting out of hand. First he said that he wanted to be friends—no, he admitted to wanting to be _more _than friends—and now he was acting like I didn't even exist, let alone that he was supposed to be trying to get something from me.

"Class, it seems that we have a new student. Mr. Black, why don't you grab a seat and sit next to…" he deliberated, but before he could choose the 'victim'—I doubted any girl would see it as a punishment—, Jacob leaned down and whispered furtively in his ear. He nodded once and then turned to scribble nonsense about whitefish blastula as Jacob made his way toward me with a chair, trying to hide the obvious smirk on his face.

"That seat is on temporary, Mr. Black, remember that!" Mr. Banner called from the front, and I could only imagine how horrified my expression must have been when Jake loudly put the seat down on the other side of me, grinning goofily.

God, why did the charming, native boy have to be in two of my classes when my life was already complicated enough?!

"Hey, Bells!" I rolled my eyes this time—how could a boy be so enthusiastic constantly?

However, when Edward noticed who the new student was, he tensed and turned in his seat, his body facing me slightly. He didn't look at me as obviously as I must have been scrutinizing him, but he watched Jacob and I interact from the corner of his eye, his lips pressed into a hard line as his fingers whitened from gripping the cold desk.

Surprised by his suddenly hostile behavior, I looked away from him and Jacob toward the front of the class, trying to ignore them both…when another new figure stepped into the classroom.

I groaned, letting my head slump forward onto the cold, hard marble of the desk with a _thump._ Contemplating whether or not I should bang my head against that very table, I heard two things at once:

"Bella, are you alright?" Edward asked anxiously, leaning toward me with concern filled eyes.

"Class, it seems that we have _two _new students today. Huh," Mr. Banner mumbled to himself.

I lifted my head, not bothering to answer Edward's question as I turned my attention to the newcomer, expecting it to be a female, or possibly a young looking boy this time—I was wrong. Oh, so horribly, wrong.

He wasn't just young—he was the epitome of innocence, the look upon his face so boyish and charming it was hard to stare at it for so long and not get a headache. His long brown hair fell into his eyes in waves, hanging down over his ears as well, as if he had let it grow wild during the summer—but the odd thing was that the entire part of his hair near the ear—about the size of my hand, spread wide—was dyed green, the color mixing in with the natural looking tresses about it.

Awed, I took in the rest of him.

He was fairly tall, not as tall as Jacob or Edward, but barely over my five foot, three inches. His eyebrows were dark and bushy, casting shadows across the dark spots where his eyes riveted around the room. Cheekbones were set low underneath the sallow, pale skin of his face as he searched for wherever Mr. Banner had assigned him to sit temporarily.

Suddenly, his gaze was locked on mine and I could feel the heat rise to my face as I stared at him, completely incapacitated by this stranger. The corners of his lips pulled up, almost sluggishly—as if he didn't want them to do so—and he smiled at me.

If I had been capable of swooning, I'm sure that I would have. This grin wasn't at all anything like Edward's crooked one, but at the same time, it was so much alike—one side of his lips was pulled up higher than the other, exposing slightly more teeth on that side. But the effect was so much better than the perfect teeth and smiles of actors or actresses, because it was genuine and filled with…curiosity?

It seemed like an eternity had passed, he finally broke eye contact and looked down at Lauren Mallory who so graciously scooted her chair over for him to sit on with her. They immediately began to chat and I couldn't help the tight feeling of jealousy run through my stomach at the thought that _she _got to talk to him.

I guess this was what the other girls must have been feeling.

Oh.

Thinking this, I realized that I had been inadvertently ignoring both Jacob and Edward who seemed to be having a staring contest across the table at each other.

I leaned back, watching their faces as though they were having a silent conversation. Finally, Jacob sighed and looked away as Edward took on a smug look. This immediately irked me—nothing about Edward should be smug at the moment, especially if it made Jacob as angry as he seemed to be at the moment.

As I was about to ask what the heck had been going on since I had been out for a time, Mr. Banner's rough and deep voice rang out, echoing across the tiny walls of the classroom.

"Students, I want you to copy these notes down, and then I am going to partner you up for the lab that we'll be doing today; it seems that the last time I tried to give you the freedom to choose partners, you decided to act on rather foolish behavior." He glared pointedly at Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley who were snickering and pointing at Lauren, who, at the moment, was leaning forward not so inconspicuously to show off her non-existent chest.

I resisted the urge to gag.

"All right, chop-chop!" he coughed out, clapping his hands.

Still sitting back, I waited for someone—Edward or Jacob, particularly—to say something.

No one did.

Sighing, I stood and went to the front of the room to see who would be my partner, and to find out who would be Edward and Jacob's, since they were too busy with their male testosterone to notice much else going on around them.

Making my way toward Mr. Banner's overcrowded desk, I found myself falling, my feet already having tripped over someone else's, and I braced myself for the fall, my face scrunched up into a mask of pain already.

But the impact never came.

Slowly, opening my eyes, I found myself staring at that oddly stunning face again, close enough to touch.

I struggled to get up and mumbled incoherent thoughts to myself about invisible, evil bunny rabbits trying to trip me, and being terminally ill from have such an odd case of klutziness.

"Sorry," I muttered.

The guy smiled brightly. "No problem."

I blushed.

"So, what's your name?" he asked conversationally as we waited to get our information from the line that seemed to have stopped for some odd reason—Lauren being the cause. She was shrieking something about it not being fair that she couldn't have any one of the new students as a partner.

"Bella. Bella Swan," I replied automatically, totally forgetting my manners and asking for his name in return. Bring on the heat.

He laughed. "Chance. Chance Henzley."

I tilted my head to the side, considering. The name suited him. I wondered if Chance ever took chances… I tried not to burst into laughter at my odd sense of humor that hadn't escaped my mouth—therefore it would make me look like a complete idiot to burst out laughing in the middle of class, in front of the totally cute new kid.

_Jeez, Bella, stop rambling_!

"See ya."

I hadn't realized in all my internal blabbering that the line had finally started to move again and Mr. Banner was waiting impatiently for me to come up to him. I hurriedly followed up after him, looking across the names and chart that he had so carefully created and groaned in horror.

Why did this teacher hate me so?

Trudging back to Edward and Jacob with a huff, I loudly plopped myself down into the seat between them, much to Jacob's utter amusement.

"So? What's the verdict?" he asked, his eyes glancing anxiously over to Edward's face. He didn't look back.

"I'm with Edward—you're with the new kid," I mumbled, overly upset about the incident.

But, I couldn't help but measure Edward's reaction—his eyebrows lifted and a small smile broke out across his face before he could contain his joy. My own eyebrows, however, scrunched together. Why were men so complicated?

Jacob mumbled something that I couldn't quite make out before going to sit with Chance. I glanced longingly after both of them, thinking that I would much rather be with them than this confusing, impassive operative.

"So, who's going to start?" he asked, obviously pushing the microscope toward me.

I sighed. This was going to be a long class period.

--

Thankfully, the bell rang ten minutes after Edward and I had finished. It had become sort of a game between us in the end—trying to prove the other wrong or trying to get the answer right first. In the end it seemed pretty even—but Edward won out by getting me in trouble at the end of class.

As the fly-by paper airplane smacked Mr. Banner in the back of the head, Edward quickly ducked out from the classroom, hiding behind the wall, and snickered.

Exasperated, Mr. Banner turned around with the infamous Banner-glare on his face. His eyebrows shot up when he saw that I was the only one standing there. It returned however, and he took on that 'stance'; but just as he was about to start, Chance walked back in, picking up the flimsy piece of paper.

"Sorry, Mr. Banner, it was a total accident. Stupid teenagers, right?" He chuckled.

I gaped at him openly, wondering why he was sticking up for me—or Edward, who had stopped laughing once Chance had re-entered.

"Quite alright, Mr. Henzley. For your first day though, you should think through whom you should be involved with." He eyed me furtively while, still in awe, Chance dragged me by my arm out of the classroom.

"Thanks," I managed out.

"No problem." He smiled.

It was infectious—I couldn't help but grin back.

However, my little moment with the adorable new boy was quickly interrupted by none other than…Edward.

Cool arms wound around my waist from behind, and I jumped slightly, shocked at whose face appeared, resting on my shoulder. Completely bewildered, I didn't think to shrug him off as Chance's face twisted into a frown.

"Well, hey there Honeybunch, I thought we were meeting in the closet?" he asked, a peculiar mischievous grin plastered onto his stunning face.

My own eyebrows pushed together in confusion, but before I could respond enough to—a) kick Edward in the one place it would hurt and b) run after Chance who was walking away quickly from me, catching up with Mike and Tyler who were unsurprisingly picking on a freshman who seemed to be lost.

I shoved Edward's arms off of me, repulsed by the fact that I wanted them there—he felt good pressed against me.

A look of hurt crossed his face as he mockingly put a hand over his heart in a touch of emotion.

"Why, Bella, I'm appalled. Has my behavior hurt your feelings?" he asked, feigning a surprised tone.

I rolled my eyes, but he just wouldn't stop.

"I thought you would like that little skit—" But before he could finish his sentence, my arm swung out toward his head.

The knuckles on my hand came within an inch of his perfect, pretty face when his own hand snapped out, clenching my wrist in a tight hold, keeping it where my forceful right hook would have hit him square on; this would have looked odd to anyone who was watching, seeing as it all happened within less than a second.

My breathing was erratic, but he seemed perfectly calm as he wrenched me forward, my body pressed painfully against his as he held my hand over my head, my heart pounding against my chest.

"I wouldn't have done that if I were you," he warned, his eyes glinting maliciously.

I shuddered; he looked truly frightening.

"Why not?" I replied rebelliously, though my voice came out sounding weaker than I had intended.

He opened his mouth, but then an odd buzzing occurred in his right pants pocket—it was easy to feel, especially with how oddly he had me squished between him and the wall.

Oddly enough, only a few people passed by us, not even really looking in our direction; we were just another couple making out in the shadows to them.

How wrong they were.

Despite what I was trying to focus on, I couldn't help that his cell-phone ring tone caught my attention.

"Debussy?" I questioned, my face shocked as he shoved his hand into his pocket to shut off the infernal device. The music was quickly silenced.

"Yeah…" he trailed off, his head cocking to the side in curiosity at me.

I quickly recomposed my face into a calm mask as I tried to regain my hand back to its rightful territory.

"Well, it was nice chatting Mr. Cullen, but we're going to be late for lunch if we don't go soon."

Without looking away from my eyes, he dropped my hand and stepped back slightly, his face deliberating.

"Yes, Miss Swan, we'll see each other soon anyways," he countered, smug.

Hurriedly, as though I was going to be late for lunch, I whirled away from him on my heels and ran around the corner, out of breath and positively ecstatic.

Little did Edward Anthony Masen Cullen know that I held his most important possession in my hands.

Debussy filled the air around me.

* * *

Thanks to: _SoCalGurl01, THE silVeR m0.onLiGhTSHAdow, twilight1192, Nicky-Princessxx, chatterbox39, knowler10, XskyXdancerX, vb-queen-18, mrazfreak, euroweasley _for their awesome reviews on the last chapter!

If you want to be up there, you know what to do. (:

(P.S. A special big thanks to all of you out there who have me on favs/ story alerts, it makes my heart all warm and fuzzy. And all of you, give Miss Paige twilight1192 a big OHMYGOSH YOU'RE WONDERFUL, because she is, and she's helped with the story, even if she doesn't realize it. (: Love ya, gurl. )

gangstapenguinduck lover

* * *


	7. Music Stores

Bunch of fluff, hope you like it. Not as long as others, but my favorite. (:

* * *

_Courage is fear that has said its prayers._

_-Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970), __  
Unpopular Essays (1950), "Outline of Intellectual Rubbish"_

.

_Soundtrack: (Fall For You; Secondhand Serenade)_

* * *

_Who the heck is Tanya?_ I wondered, glancing at the caller ID of the phone. I kept walking, eager to make it to my dorm before Edward noticed that his phone was missing. He surely should have, it wasn't that hard to pick it out of his pocket when he was so preoccupied…

Shaking my head, I mustered up all the courage I had, cleared my throat and flipped the phone open, answering in my best impersonation of Edward's voice.

"Huh-llo?" I asked, my voice scratchy. I winced—surely the woman on the other line would know that I wasn't Edward; even I knew the difference and I'd only known him for a few months, presuming that this girl knew him longer… I ignored the cold stab of jealousy and waiting impatiently for her reply.

"Edward? Oh, good. You sound sick, sweetie. Anyways, I got that information on Rosalie Hale for you," she rambled, sounding a bit annoyed that she had stuff on my friend. I smirked, knowing that anyone could be jealous of Rose.

"I don't know _how _I could have forgotten to give it to you darling," she said sweetly into the earpiece. I choked back a laugh, not surprised that someone in our industry was after Edward for more than his skills.

"OH!" she gasped; "You sound terrible. Go back to bed, take some medicine, skip class, we don't need our best operative dying when we need that formula that they've got." She muttered something under her breath, but I didn't catch it.

Formula? What formula? That's odd. I snapped the phone shut, murmuring an odd sounding goodbye and turned onto the sidewalk to the girls' dormitories.

Looking down at my shoes, I pondered what that could mean. Asking Carlisle wouldn't help anything, he wouldn't even give me any details. Stupid, unreliable old man.

Not noticing where I was going, or who was trying to get my attention (I had hoped that whoever it was would go away—soon), they grabbed me from behind, spinning me around with the fingers grasping tightly on my shoulders.

I clenched the silver phone in my hand tighter and groaned. Jeez, I couldn't get away with _anything _with him around.

"I believe you have something of mine," he said sternly, piercing me with those blazing eyes of his. I feigned indifference and subtly stuffed the idiotic device into my pocket, hoping that his eyes wouldn't catch the small movement. They didn't move from my face, so I guessed not—but I would never know.

"Mhh?" I questioned, looking around coolly like he held me up before my dorm everyday like this. His eyes narrowed and his hands slid down my arms and toward my hands which were shoved into my pants pocket.

My heart started beating insanely as he slowly progressed to either hand, the movement so sensual that I wanted to jump him and wrap my legs around his waist and…

He reached his destination, toying with the strings that had come apart from the lining of the pocket and slipped his hand inside so that we were connected by my pants.

His fingers felt around as he stared nonchalantly at me, like this was the most ordinary thing for him to do. He finally found it and he clamped his fingers around it, a victorious smile appearing across his face. I grimaced; damn him and his stupid smirk.

Edward pulled it out, showing it to me like I was a child. I rolled my eyes at him and turned on my heel, my face flushing; Only Edward Cullen could make a fool out of me and how little skills I had maintained in training.

I mumbled to myself until I noticed him walking along beside me, the night lamps starting to come on beside us as we walked along the sidewalk, my dorm room completely forgotten now. I hadn't realized where my feet were taking me, and soon enough I was at the very wall that I had escaped through a few months back.

I turned to face him, raising and eyebrow and desperately wishing that I had an ice bucket to cool my face off.

"What do you want?" I asked after waiting a few minutes for him to say something. He continued to stare at me inquisitively, a curious expression crossing his face. He folded his arms after a minute, still having decided not to answer me, and leaned against the brick wall beside us.

I huffed in anger and sat down, crossing my legs against the cool grass and toying with the blades around me, watching as the sky grew ever darker.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" His melodic voice loomed across the air towards me. Startled at his request, I looked up at his expression, noting that it seemed anxious and almost…hopeful?

I could wish…right?

Slowly, as if I didn't truly comprehend his question, I nodded my head, standing and sliding the brick near his shoulder away from the wall, shielding the keypad from him and punching in the number, to which he rolled his eyes.

I just eyed him carefully as the brick pulled away and we made out decent and rose back again on the other side, the chilly night air coming in from the opposite direction. He watched me shiver slightly, but I didn't acknowledge that.

We walked along in an awkward silence, the last traces of daylight slowly fading away beyond the horizon as we came across the very field where I had met Jacob at the carnival. I shook my head at the memory—stupid, no good penny tosses. I wouldn't have had this odd trio of guys that seemed to constantly swirl in my thoughts if I would have just stayed at my dorm and gone to bed that night.

My brows furrowed and Edward cleared his throat lightly as the city lights came into view, noise and commotion humming about us as we walked further into the town.

"Yes?" I asked, not looking at him, though I desperately wanted to.

"Bella." He said my name so tenderly, and with such sadness, it felt like the most normal thing in the world to turn my head toward him to see what had caused such a tone.  
He was gazing at me softly; none of the anger and intensity from this afternoon present, and he had somehow inched closer to me on the sidewalk without me noticing. My breath caught in my throat and I had to force myself to swallow so that I didn't choke right there in front of him.

"Yeah?" Instead of my voice coming out smooth and calm as I had hoped, my voice cracked and squeaked. I cursed nervous vocal cords.

He chuckled lightly for a second before stopping beneath a tree, a wooden bench with metal railings right beside him in front of a nicely lit restaurant. The light spilled across the concrete and created an odd, romantic glow that I wouldn't have thought was possible without the help from movie productors.

He sat down, gesturing me to take the only seat next to him; nervously, I bent my knees and managed into the smaller space that he had left for me next to the opposite rail. His arm was behind my neck and I could feel the warmth of his body pulsing between us in the cold November air.

"Bella," he started again, not looking at me, but ahead of us at the restaurant. I took the moment to memorize the perfect structure of his smooth jaw line, uninterrupted by hair or acne. Smooth and perfect, like the purest kind of marble. I sighed.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked. What an odd question. Disturbed by this sudden curiosity, my brows furrowed as I contemplated what he was doing by asking this and at the same time tried to figure out an answer to his question.

Deciding, I spoke. "I don't really have one. It changes daily, I guess."

This seemed to confuse him and he finally looked at me, his stunning green eyes riveted. "Well, what is it today?"

I considered, pushing my lower lip out to make the picture perfect face of debate.

"I guess today it would be brown."

And so the Spanish inquisition began.

--

It wasn't hard to keep us occupied. We had made rules of the little game that he had so innocently started; it was similar to twenty questions, only in our version, it seemed to be unlimited. We each asked each other a question and we had to answer honestly—but it was an unspoken agreement that we wouldn't talk about our missions, or what we hoped would happen in the future. Anything remotely related was easily avoided.

Part of our game was to earn points—he, by making me blush from the question or answer, and I, by making him think too hard about his.

Undoubtedly, he won hands down. By the time we had walked full circle of the town, it was darker and the lamps were brighter, and he had effectively made me more embarrassed than I had ever been in my entire life.

We had stopped outside a music store, and I was surprised to see that it was open; they usually closed late. The music was streaming through speakers that were set up inside the windows, protected from the cold air that whipped around us now.

I shivered again.

Edward noticed and began to take off his jacket.

"No, that's okay, I'm fine," I tried to protest, but he ignored me and placed it around my shoulders. It was warm, and God did it smell good—heavenly good. That same warm vanilla, honey and sun scent reached my nose and I couldn't deny it any longer.

I slipped my arms through the jacket and he smiled a little.

I hadn't known that when he came here it would be so easy to like someone like him. Immediately I had thought that we would have nothing in common—besides the fact that we were both agents and his father was my boss.

During our conversation, I learned more about him than his file could ever tell me. He told me about his mom and how beautiful she was; the reverence with which he spoke about her told me that he respected her much more than I ever did when I learned about her.

I'm sure that he, too, could hear the almost maternal way I spoke about my own mother; protective, caring, annoyed, loving. It was hard to stay angry at Renee for too long. He had nodded his head, smiling and completely understanding.

The classics were a debate that we had to put our game on hold for—he was truly outraged that I sympathized for Heathcliff in _Wuthering Heights. _That right there started a heated argument. But, by the end I had convinced him to take into account all that Catherine had done to him, and he told me he would consider looking into it.

This made me smile for no apparent reason and he watched it grow on my face, tilting his head to the side in, as always, curiosity.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked for what seemed the billionth time that night.

"Nothing of importance," I returned, leaning on my tiptoes and then leaning on my heels as we loitered aimlessly in front of the music store.

Then the speakers suddenly blurted out a very solemn voice and I stopped rocking, listening to the soft music. Edward, too, seemed preoccupied with it and leaned closer to the windows, trying to hear the lyrics to whatever song this could be.

_Best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting._

_Could it be that we have been this way before?_

_I know you don't think that I am trying,_

_I know you're wearing thin down to the core._

I stiffened slightly. The words were too perfect to the situation that I was in right now that it wasn't even funny. I looked up from under my lashes to see Edward watching me with the same pained expression that I'm sure must have been on my face.

He tried to mask it quickly, but it was too late. But, instead of turning away from him like I had all night, I blurted, "Want to dance?"

My cheeks reddened as I realized what I had just said. A slow smile crawled across his face and he tugged my partially frozen hand out his coat pocket and placed it around his neck. My cold fingers didn't seem to bother him as he placed the other one along with my right, and his hands found their way back to my waist.

_But hold your breath,_

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you,_

_Over again,_

_Don't make me change my mind, _

_Or I won't live to see another day,_

_I swear it's true,_

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find,_

_You're impossible to find._

We swayed slightly, him gently leading my hips in a small circle as we—as some would call it—danced.

The piano music broke off the singer's voice for a moment and I leaned my head further into Edward's neck, letting it rest gently on his shoulder. His hands shifted lightly, rounding to the small of my back, pressing me closer to his warm chest.

My breath caught for what seemed like the thousandth time, and my heart spluttered erratically. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing before my eyes. It was hard to veer my thoughts away from kissing it…

_This is not what I intended,_

_I always swore to you I'd never fall apart,_

_You always thought that I was stronger,_

_I may have failed,_

_But I have loved you from the start._

His hands clasped together tightly when the last line left the singer's lips and I trembled in his arms. This was too risky, us being together like this, especially out in the open. But I loved every rebelling second of it. At least Carlisle wasn't watching.

Edward pulled back, his chin inches from my eyes before it lowered and his lips were hovering above my own. His warm breath came out in puffs of air that I could see in the chilly night, cascading down my pale face.

Something cold lightly touched my cheek and I blinked, looking up. Edward's eyes were on the very spot that it had landed, and he lifted one hand to wipe away the already melted snowflake. I looked up again towards the sky, his hand dropping to my jaw and neck as more snow began to fall around us.

My head dropped back down to see him still watching me, his eyes intent on my small smile.

_Oh, hold your breath…_

Oh, God, I am…

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you,_

_Over again,_

_Don't make me change my mind,_

_Or I won't live to see another day,_

_I swear it's true…_

The snow fell faster, coating his thick lashes in white before melting into water as he blinked lightly, leaning ever so closer, his breath fogging in the air between us.

My hands slid from his neck to his chest, and the hand he had on my neck slowly felt its way back up to my cheek, caressing.

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find,_

_It's impossible…_

His lips were right there, anticipation making me eager to meet them. But this was so wrong—I hesitated, unsure.

"Bella," he breathed. I looked up at him from underneath my dewy eyelashes. His cheeks were flushed pink from the cold, the contrast between the color and his pale skin breathtaking.

_So breathe in, so deep,  
_

_Breathe me in,_

_I'm yours to keep,_

_And hold onto your words,_

'_Cause talk is cheap,_

_And remember me tonight,_

_When you're asleep._

"Don't be afraid," he whispered, his breath running across my lashes again. I whimpered, feeling completely and utterly out of control.

His hands gripped me tighter, the small of my back tingling from his touch as he gently stroked my cheek with his thumb. Then his lips crashed gently into mine and my whole world didn't make sense anymore.

_Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you,_

_Over again,_

_Don't make me change my mind._

_Or I won't live to see another day,_

_I swear it's true,_

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find…_

His lips moved urgently against mine and I groaned at the amazing feel of his soft lips. The hand on my back wound all the way around my waist, and soon we had stopped moving and he crushed me tighter against his body, my hands fiercely gripping his perfect jaw.

I couldn't get enough of him, and he of me. I hadn't realized that my hands were acting of their own accord, and had plunged themselves deep into his bronze tresses. He moved his head, kissing me deeper, harder as my oxygen supply ran low. But, I didn't care; if this is the way that I would die, I'd take it.

_Tonight will be the night that I will fall for you,_

_Over again,_

_Don't make me change my mind,_

_Or I won't live to see another day,_

_I swear it's true,_

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find…_

He pulled away, cupping my cheek tenderly as those fiery emerald eyes gazed at me softly. "Impossible to find," he whispered along with the singer's final words, tugging gently on my earlobe with his fingers and smiling.

Out of breath, my chest rose and fell against his and I could feel his heart beating in time with mine, just as erratic.

"Edward…" I tried to warn him, tried to talk about what this could possibly mean between us, but he silenced me with a short, sweet kiss. My lips, however, didn't seem to want his to go away that quickly, and with my eyes closed, I pulled his head back down to mine as snow collected around us in the faint glow of the street lamps.

--

We walked back slowly, taking refuge in the trees as the snow came down in sheets and made everything a white blanket before our eyes.

His hair was wet, as were his lashes, but he still looked impossibly handsome, and his sweater clung to him lightly in the cold, emphasizing his rock-like muscles.

To keep him from getting pneumonia (of course, what else would I have done it for?), I wrapped my arms around his waist, his left hand gripping my shoulder lightly as he wrapped his own arm around me as well. His shivering decreased and before I knew it, we were inside the school grounds again and he was veering me toward the girls' dormitories.

The only problem was, I didn't feel like letting him go.

It was still well before eleven thirty, and I was debating whether or not I should ask him to come up; tonight was like a fairytale, and I didn't want it to end as soon as I realized it would.

He stopped inside the brick archway, keeping out of the storm that had materialized now.

"Do you…" he started, and then ran a hand through his wet hair, looking sheepishly at me.

I smiled, and decided right then that he was absolutely too irresistible to leave out in the snow—with a bunch of giggling girls in homemade knit caps, as well.

"Do you want to stay with me for a little bit?" I murmured, blushing a little.

He grinned and held the door open for me as we silently (well, him making me giggle as he whispered moronic things in my ear was considered quiet to me) made our way up the stairs and to my dorm.

I could feel his hot breath on my neck as I unlocked it and flipped on the lights, calling out for Rosalie. I knew she wouldn't be here; she'd been out every night over the past month, never coming in until at least three in the morning. When I questioned her about it, she just said that she was doing some last minute cramming before a test, or getting homework done late.

I believed her as much as I believed that you could bomb for peace.

"Rose?" I asked, just in case she was in fact home.

Silence.

I turned to face Edward again, when suddenly the lights went out. I froze, and then breathed a sigh of relief when I felt his hands searching out for me in the darkness. He gripped my waist gingerly and I took his hand, leading him over to my bed.

"Hang on a second," I said to him as he tried to pull me down onto the comforter with him.

Blindly, I reached my hands out and made contact with my dresser.

"Ow," I whined, hearing him chuckled behind me. I growled lightly at him and felt through my drawers for my sweatpants and t-shirt.

Changing quickly, as to not give him an excuse to come after me in the dark with those hands of his, I walked slowly back over to where I thought he was, but my knees collided with my bed.

"Ouch!" I yelped, falling forward.

He laughed outright now, his chuckling shaking the bed beneath me. His warm hand came in contact with mine, and he helped pull me upright on the bed.

I crawled toward where he was, sitting back as I reached him. He lay back with me, intertwining my fingers with his again and again, sometimes pulling them up so that he could kiss my knuckles softly with those irresistible lips of his.

"Edward," I finally said after a few minutes of comfortable silence had surrounded us. During that time he had somehow inched closer to me and had found the sliver of exposed skin at my hip and entertained himself with drawing patterns with the tip of his finger while I tried not to moan out loud.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, referring to the situation that we had managed to avoid all night.

He sighed as he realized that we had to talk about it eventually.

"I don't know. I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella," he whispered, reaching up toward my face.

His words made my heart stop before breaking out into a sprint again. This was more complicated than I had planned.

"I don't want this night to end," I muttered into his palm. He chuckled.

"I know."

He shifted his weight, and I could tell that he was hovering over me, when we both heard a crash and giggles, followed by a throaty chuckle.

I froze while he tensed as the doorknob turned and Rosalie stumbled in, a large guy following in behind her. She turned around, partially closing the door, letting in a little light. She kissed him as he wrapped his huge arms around her and she giggled again, pulling him toward her bed.

_Uh-oh…_

I quickly jumped out of bed and motioned for Edward to follow me, and he complied as we sneaked quietly away from Rosalie and her bedmate, out into the hallway and down the stairs to the first floor lobby before we started laughing.

It was hard to quit but when I leaned on Edward for support and his own hand came to rest on my spine, shivers trembled through me effectively cut off my giggling.

"Um…I guess I'll just see if I can stay with Angela…I heard she doesn't have a roommate…" I mumbled to myself, thinking of ways to get back at Rosalie for bringing a guy back to our room. What if I had been sleeping?! Ugh, I hated to imagine the visual of waking up to _that…_

I started to walk down the hallway toward Angela's room, waving a hand at Edward when he caught it and spun me toward him, a furious expression on his face as he dragged me outside.

"What are you doing?!" I shout-whispered at him.

"You think I'm going to let you go wake up another innocent girl so that you have a place to sleep? I think not," he explained indignantly.

Okay…that's a little weird, I'm sure Angela wouldn't mind _that_ much…

Nothing really registered in my mind until I was standing in front of his dorm door and he was putting the key in, flipping on the light switch. Jasper was no where to be seen, though his bed was made perfectly, civil war books spread out underneath the bed on the carpet.

"Um…what am I doing here?" I asked. He gave me a look like it should have been obvious.

"You can take Jasper's bed if you want, he never comes 'home' anymore," he said dismissively as he rummaged through his drawers for what I assumed was a t-shirt.

"What do you mean he 'never comes home'?" I replied, wondering where the heck Jasper would possibly be going each evening since I had last talked to him…

"Oh, he's been pretty busy…" He smirked before turning into the bathroom and closing the door before I could get any more information out of him. I waited impatiently on one of the two beds; I'm not sure whose it was, tapping my foot against the beige carpet.

The door swung open and my eyes went wide before I tried to control my expression. Not everyone these days gets to see an extremely hot guy who happened to have kissed you (pretty well, I might add) that night in the snow without a shirt on.

I strained my eyes away from his half-naked body, believing that if I didn't stop undressing him with my eyes then I might actually jump on him right then and there. I held my breath, looking at a poster that Jasper must have posted on the wall of the movie _Tombstone. _God, I hoped that whoever he ended up marrying got him out of his stupid old western/civil war obsession.

The bed creaked beneath me as Edward sat down, adding extra weight to this side. I shifted, trying to give him room—I had a feeling that if we got that close then neither of us would be able to control ourselves.

"You know this is my bed, don't you?" he asked, his voice an octave lower than normal.

I shivered.

"Oh?" My voice shook and I winced, knowing that it portrayed how nervous he made me. I mean, really, what were we in? Third grade?

"You can sleep with me if you want," he whispered. Again, the dang shivering.

"O-okay," I croaked, finally meeting his intense gaze. Good Lord, I might have fainted had I not been already sitting. Every muscle on his chest and arms was uninterrupted, the skin smooth and silky as it flowed over the rippling rocks beneath the skin.

He got up, and like in my room, he turned off the lights, only he had the advantage of knowing where he was going.

I laid down, my head immediately meeting the pillow, my heart pounding loudly in my chest.

* * *

Thanks to _Crookedsmiles, CullenGirlsForever3, Diana Holland, Vi0lentSerenity, I.Like.My.Men.Immortal, twilight1192, SoCalGurl101, Nicky-Princessxx, XskyXdancerX, iluvmybackpack, justm, summerperidot, bitemeplease235, vb-queen-18, and THE silVeR mO. onLiGhTSHAdow_.

Fifteen reviews!  
WOOT!

If you want to be up there, you know what to do. (:


	8. Interruptions

Okay, so, can I just say that you guys are awesome? I almost cried when I saw how many reviews I had gotten on the last chapter...SO THANKS! Give yourselves a pat on the back, or thigh, or Edward's head, wherever you want.

Anyways, onward with my info. I think that you guys are going to love this chapter, and I'm glad that you guys loved my little fluff scene! Thanks so much for the compliments! It's just always been one of my fantasies to get kissed at night in the snow... (:

Yes, I changed the summary, simply because I got bored of reading the old one. XD So I went with something new, that will definitely happen, probably next chapter, so that should give you a little preview of the problems that will occur next. XD (YOUR WELCOME!)

BTSI (Before The Story Info): You guys might want to check out my profile for some pics if you don't have imagination when it comes to that part. (:

WOOT! Part of this chap is dedicated to Jasper, whom I've been neglecting. ): Onward!

* * *

_"When one admits that nothing is certain one must, I think, also admit that some things are much more nearly certain than others."_

_-Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970), "Am I An Atheist Or An Agnostic?", 1947_

_.  
_

_Soundtrack: (The Great Escape; Boys Like Girls)._

_

* * *

_**Jasper.**

Sighing, I stretched my hands over my head, yawning loudly and smacking my lips which were dry with sleep. My eyes opened blearily when I felt the gentle up and down motion of a body against mine. Looking down, I saw the tiny little woman who had made my nights these past few weeks so brilliant—but I couldn't bring myself to wake her as I watched her sleep, her chest rising and falling with each breath.

Tentatively, so as not to wake her, I brushed a thumb across one plump, clear cheek, her eyelashes fluttering with the movement.

She was just so perfect.

I disentangled myself from her grasp, grabbing my boxers and the rest of my clothing as I searched for my cell phone—Edward probably called to ask whether or not I was going to go back to the dorm. This was one of the perks of Lauren Mallory being Alice's roommate—the hoe was hardly ever here to begin with, always out with one guy or another.

But, that's not my problem.

My thoughts went back, yet again, to Edward. My mysterious roommate. Well, not as mysterious as he had been before we had started talking. He seemed to open up to me more and more, but I knew that he would never tell me about his secret agent side. I could live with this—as long as he didn't hurt Bella. I swore to myself if he _ever_ hurt her in anyway I would—

My reverie was broken as my cell phone went off underneath one of Alice's pink-covered pillows and I rushed to grab it before it could wake her up. She stirred, flipping onto her other side, her flawless back uncovered.

Staring, I glanced at the caller ID, noticing that it was my mother; she never called. It's not like she cared. Well, I guess you couldn't really call her my mother. She was a replacement after my own died in childbirth. Needless to say, I totally wished that I knew my real mom. Dad was okay; he just had crappy choice in women. The Cinderella stories proved totally true with that woman.

I had just tugged on my shirt and was leaning down to kiss Alice good-bye when her eyelids fluttered open and a mischievous smile crept onto her face before she pulled me down on top of her.

"Good morning," I chuckled, smiling down at the tiny little figure beneath me.

"Amazing morning," she countered, lifting her head to kiss me.

I sighed, content to just stay here; but I knew that I would have to go make up for all the homework that our teachers had given us the previous day.

"I will have to leave this room eventually; you do realize that, right?" I laughed. She would gladly keep me here for as long as she believed was necessary, I was sure of that. Just to prove my point, she smiled sexily up at me, all the while looking like she knew something that I didn't.

"That's very true…" she trailed off, her small hands snaking their way up my neck.

I grinned and leaned down to kiss her again.

--

I fumbled with my keys outside the dorm room. Plenty of students were already up, which surprised me—I wouldn't think that anyone would be up so early on a Saturday morning. But, all the same, I was up just as early so I had no right to judge.

Finally, the key clicked in the door, and I edged it open, slipping inside and closing it behind me. Turning around, I struggled to hold in my shout of anger.

There, on Edward's bed, Bella was curled inside his arms. Truthfully, I knew that it would have happened sooner or later—the chemistry between them was just too potent. But I never expected it to happen now, when Edward had barely spoken to her in more than a couple of weeks.

Padding lightly around the bed, I couldn't help but notice their awkward predicament.

Bella's face was pressed tightly into Edward's chest, his chin resting on top of her head. Both their arms were wrapped securely around each other and Bella's leg seemed hitched on top of Edward's underneath the thick comforter.

I sighed. This was a position that I most often found myself and Alice in when I woke up. But this was different; this was Bella, and this was Edward, and this was definitely _not _okay. Definitely.

But then I remembered Alice, and I couldn't help but feel a bit like a hypocrite. So Bella finally found someone; although I strictly remembered her telling me that he was an enemy agent—that didn't give me the right to break them up.

_Maybe _it was okay.

Just as I had resolved to go get breakfast or take a long walk to give them time to collect themselves, Edward's hand shifted lower under the comforter and his body seemed to press itself harder into her—and that did it. Something inside me just snapped, and my protective instincts took over.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" I shouted, my pent up anger finding release in my voice.

They both startled awake, sitting up and practically jumping apart as if they had been shocked. Bella looked blearily around, but I knew that she was analyzing everything that was going on in her head, just as a good spy should do.

Edward, however, was wide awake, his eyes looking directly at me with his brow furrowed and his mouth set into a frown. Good. I'm glad I woke up his good time with Bella. Who knows how far he would have gotten…

"Bella," I seethed between my teeth. She looked at me confusedly, and then recognition seemed to dawn on her and her eyes widened in terror before her entire face went into flames.

"Go back to your dorm. Now." It was easy to see why she looked so terrified, even if she knew that I didn't impose an immediate threat to her. She struggled out of the bed, tripping on her way to the door. I didn't miss that she was in her own pajamas.

The door shut quietly and I rounded on Edward, whose hair was mussed and had, in the time that Bella left, stood up. I glared silently at him as he gazed back at me calmly.

"What?" he asked, his calm demeanor still in place.

"We're going to have a long talk."

**Bella.**

Shivering in the chilly morning air, I quickly made my way back to my dorm, praying to God that Jasper didn't kill Edward. I knew better, though; if Jasper even made any kind of offensive move toward him, Edward would have him pinned before he could say, "Wait."

I didn't miss the stares that I was receiving for being in my pajamas and having just come out of the boys' dormitories; plenty of guys had whistled and made comments that I tried not to remember.

It was then that I thought of Rosalie; I once again prayed that her midnight visitor was gone and that I could go back to my own bed in peace. Somehow, I highly doubted that. So I made the decision to just grab my things and get out of there before Rosalie could even dream of waking up with her lover.

The door was already unlocked; I didn't have to worry about knocking. Opening the door, I found that my assumption had been correct. Rosalie's body was curled tightly into the massive rock that seemed to be weighing her bed down next to her. I shuddered before moving quietly to my dresser and extracting the clothes that I would need for the day.

--

Freshly showered and in new clothes, I tossed my pajamas inside the bedroom door—I could always take care of it later, and with Rosalie's tenacity, she would only worry about herself and the guy that she had secluded herself in the room with.

I was beginning to think of ways that I could keep myself busy and away from the dorm today—it wasn't the greatest of days, but that was why I loved it. The snow fall was tremendous and it had covered every surface, making the entire campus an icy wonderland. My breath fogged in front of me and I had to rub my hands together to keep them warm—I should have taken my mother up on that glove sale that she was going on about before I came back here.

Contemplating how to keep myself occupied, I ran smack into what felt like a sturdy bolder. I immediately began to topple over, but a pair of soft arms caught me and straightened me out before I had time to shriek.

"You okay?" Chance asked, his eyes full of concern.

I blushed—the only thing I seemed to do consistently around him. He smiled when he saw that I was fine, but his arms remained around me. His cheeks were tinted pink with the cold and his hair whipped wildly around him even in the slight breeze.

"Yeah," I replied anyways, stepping away from him. His hair wasn't black anymore; it was an odd, off the normal-red color that seemed so vibrant in this winter wonderland. It stood out from the dull colors of the jackets and pale faces of the students passing by and created an aura that seemed to illuminate his entire body.

Weird.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" he asked, shrugging his arm toward the cafeteria. Although I was about to say, no, I'm really not that hungry, I suddenly had the odd desire of wanting to be near Chance—no, _needing _to be near Chance. So, with a jerk of my head, I agreed.

--

The desire didn't go away as we sat across the booth from each other and he took over the talking. I couldn't help but inch closer to him underneath the table; it was like an unconscious action. Once our knees touched, though, I had to pull away—there was no way I was feeling for this guy. I mean, come on. I just spent the night with an amazing guy and I'm already going after another one? What is _wrong _with me?!

He seemed to notice my dilemma and sat up straighter on his side of the booth, turning back to the casual conversation he had been keeping up.

"So, you and Cullen, huh?" he asked suddenly, his eyes darkening.

My head jerked back from gazing at the cooks in the Mexican restaurant portion of the cafeteria to stare at him with wide, terrified eyes. I regained composure quickly, though—jeesh, no one would have guessed that I was a spy.

"No. What would make you say that?" I shot back, turning the questions on him. He shrugged, but his eyes remained the same dark, brooding color, his eyelids hooded.

Ignoring the odd behavior, I went to ask a question of my own (What's with the hair color change?) when Angela popped up beside out table, absolutely gleaming.

"Bella!" she chirped, unusually perky for being up so early in the morning.

"Hello, Angela." Always polite, Chance.

I nodded, giving my own small smile in return. "Hey, Ange, what's up?" I asked, utterly curious as to what flyers she was holding in her petite hands.

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked!" Her eyes pointedly looked down at the sheets and then she thrust one at me and then slapped one onto the table in front of Chance. My eyes tried to focus on the rather large print, but Chance beat me to it.

"A talent show?" He raised one bushy brow, quietly questioning Angela's sanity.

"Yep!" she answered exuberantly. This only seemed to amuse him more. He smiled a weak smile before attempting to hide his laughter as a cough into his napkin. I, myself, had trouble keeping the laughter out of my voice.

"Sounds nice, Ange, but why do I need to know about this?"

Her eyebrows scrunched together and her smile shifted into a frown. "Oh, well, I understand. You don't have to do it." She began to walk away, the most painfully saddened expression on her face that I just had to stop her.

"What do you want me to do, Angela?"

She was back before I had even gotten the third word out of my mouth. She began going through the details of the show, positive that I would sing, and even gave me the line up for the day; it wasn't meant to be a big event.

"And," she added, an evil glint in her eye that I had never seen before, "Edward agreed to do it too." Oh boy. Did everyone seem to know what was going on except for us?! The mischievous smile on her face told me my guess was probably true.

"Oh," I responded with an uninterested tone, though, inside, I was aching to know what Edward planned on doing for this little impromptu show. Agents can pretty much already do anything—Edward Cullen _can _do everything.

Angela decided to ignore my obviously lacking acting skills and gave me the time for the show two days from today. Already I was starting to have second thoughts, but with Chance there, looking at me expectantly, and with Angela's pitiful puppy-dog pout, I couldn't turn her down. Dear, God, what had I gotten myself into?

"Ready to go?" he suddenly asked, bringing me back to reality—it seemed I had been staring at the show's flyer for quite some time. Once I stood up, I felt the flare again; the immediate urge to lunge at Chance and his now flaming hair and never let go.

What was wrong with me?

Fighting the very strong pull of a monster inside me that hissed to touch him, I stomped out into the cold air, determined to freeze every single one of my nerves for even thinking about reaching out to this stranger.

It was snowing again, something that was once a rare occurrence and was now to be expected in the frozen streets of Tacoma.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around, Iz." The nickname shocked me; I had never been called anything except Bella, and I usually wouldn't accept anything less, either. But coming off of Chance's tongue, I couldn't find it within my military trained soul to scold him for the incredibly stupid name.

He must have mistook my silence as stunned, because he leaned closer and gave me a feather-light kiss on my very pink cheek—whether that be from the situation or the cold was yet to be determined. He smiled and backed away, still looking at me as I blankly stared after him, not quite sure about what had just happened.

--

"Where the hell are we going?!" we shouted indignantly and incredulously at Carlisle, who cringed behind his large, wooden desk, keeping both Rosalie and I from lunging across it and strangling him.

"I'm sorry that this is so inconvenient, but I really need you to go. You're the only agents within the area that I can contact in person, _and_," he added, seeming to collect his thoughts before Rosalie's glare burned him from the inside out, "I'll even give you a separate break to make up for the time you lost with your families on Thanksgiving."

He looked smug, as if we were just going to roll over and do what he asked, simply because we were good little girls, and his suggestion compromised the situation.

The only problem was, it most definitely did _not._

The moment that I had the guts to make it back to my dorm and hope that Rosalie's 'friend' was gone, Carlisle had sent me a message, urging me and Rose to meet him as soon as possible in his office. Without hesitating, we both rushed to meet him, only to find that we wanted to rip his head off.

"Where. Are. We. Going." I didn't say it like a question. More like a death sentence.

Carlisle's smug look instantly turned grim again when he saw that neither Rose nor I were backing down and accepting his offer. He stood, pacing across the monitors behind his chair, not glancing at them. It was then that I noticed a small, tiny screen in the corner of the room that was trained perfectly on a bronze colored head.

Ignoring the fact that Carlisle was stalking his son, I waited for an answer. He rubbed his chin, stubble having grown there and looked at us expectantly.

"You and Rosalie will be giving airplane tickets outside the school, and from there, you will receive instructions inside an enclosed packet. Simply put, I'm asking you to attend a ball." He smiled hopefully at me, but I was not at all happy. Rosalie's face lit up, however, and she jutted her bottom lip out, considering.

"There is no way in hell that you are making me go to a _ball_," I spat, glaring at him murderously.

"Isabella, please," Carlisle begged, knowing full well that using my full name was a weak spot. But then, I remembered Edward, Chance, and Jacob and couldn't help but feel so claustrophobic about it all—dress or no dress, I needed space.

"Fine. I'll go. But how are Rose and I supposed to get in and what are we going to wear?" Rose's face brightened and she snapped her fingers while both of them grinned devilishly at me. Suffice to say, I was scared for my life.

--

"Charlie, I'm really sorry, I couldn't get a flight out there. The weather's just too bad here, but Carlisle said that he would give us a separate break, because he knew how badly you wanted to see me," I said into the telephone, trying not to burst out in tears. Charlie was so disappointed that I wouldn't be coming for Thanksgiving, and he was just so old and lonely…it was hard to imagine him sitting there by himself, eating some microwave meal.

"Bells, you know it's alright with me. You just try and get here to give your old man some company some time, okay?" I wavered in my decision, wanting to go back and yell at Carlisle that there was absolutely no way that I could do this.

Then an idea popped into my head and a grin slowly spread itself across my face.

"Hey, dad," I paused, deliberating. "Why don't you go over to the Clearwaters' for Thanksgiving? I'm sure that Sue could use the company with Harry gone and all…"

The Clearwaters lived on the tiny Indian reservation about fifteen miles away from Forks, and Sue, the mother of two kids, Leah and Seth, was widowed after her husband died almost two years ago. Although I had only seen them in a room together once since it happened, I could tell that my dad had taken a liking to her.

I could hear Charlie stammer over the phone. "A-at such late notice? B-bella that's absurd! I taught you better manners than that. Besides…and…she… well…why would they….Bella?"

Smiling, I convinced Charlie to give Sue a call, promising that we could have our own Thanksgiving with them at our house when I got back from my early vacation.

All too soon, the cab outside of the booth honked, and I sighed.

"Hey, Dad, I'm really sorry, but I have to go now."

After hanging up and saying our good-byes, I ran across the snow covered sidewalk to wear a bright yellow taxi was waiting, Rosalie glaring at me impatiently as I open the door and slid in, rubbing my hands together to warm them.

"Hey," I said, sounding chipper even to myself.

She narrowed her eyes at me, but said nothing as she motioned for the driver to leave. She didn't dare pull out the package that was hidden inside her large, designer coat, but I knew that once we reached the hotel near the airport, she would be ripping it open.

The drive was silent, and Rose paid the driver while I went on inside to get our reservations.

The hotel clerk was a middle-aged woman, bags under her eyes with little to no make-up on. I felt kind of bad for her, realizing that she must have worked the night shift.

"Hello, welcome to the Seattle Luxury Hotel, how can I help you?" she said with a wary smile, already looking me over. I knew I didn't seem like the kind of person that would be staying at a luxury resort, but hey, if someone gives you enough money to do so, why not?

"Yes, I believe I have reservations under Dwyer." I know it's silly, but Carlisle didn't want anyone recognizing me by my last name, so I decided to use my mothers. I hoped she wouldn't mind—not that she would ever know.

"Here it is. Have a nice day." She smiled again and I grinned back, knowing how hard work can be when you don't want to do it. I pocketed the two room keys that she slid across the counter top and made my way over to where Rosalie was waiting with our luggage. She looked annoyed, but I figured that I could ask her once we were in our room.

We rode the elevator and took a few minutes to find our room before I flopped onto the comfortable twin bed that was in an adjoined room away from Rosalie's, and started questioning.

"Okay, so, first we need to read the packet and the files in it, then we need to make sure that our dresses are okay, and when is our flight? Oh, and why were you so—" Before I could finish my next sentence, Rose was across the room and covering my mouth with her hand.

"Okay. Slow down. Our flight is in two hours, our dresses are fine, and it's nothing." She took her hand away from my mouth, but all I could do afterward was gape at her.

Since when was Rosalie Hale an organized woman?

--

We were already hard at work, having read the files and our instructions, locating information on the two unknown men we were to track. Rosalie had her computer up and ready, all three screens buzzing as they scrolled information across her scanning eyes, and I sat comfortably by the window, reading and rereading what I already knew.

_Felix Mancini, male, 28, Head of Corporate Industries and currently under investigation of… Known CIA officials: Tanya Denali, Edward Masen-Cullen…_

_Marcus Gallo, male, 29, Head of Public Investigations of CIA, currently looking into… Known CIA officials: Mary Alice Brandon, Emmett Dale McCarty…_

The two men looked almost identical, but it was easy to see the difference. Felix was large and burly, reminding me somewhat of Emmett, though, with his Olive complexion, made him look somewhat like a vampire in contrast to his pale pallor. Marcus must have also been Italian, looking the much the same with his scary hollow eyes, but was less 'Large-hunka-man,' as Rosalie put it.

The list of their info was endless, but I didn't feel like reading too much into the lives of these men, especially since it involved marrying and divorcing many women, as well as sneakily getting out of being put in jail for illegal underground activities.

Sighing, I looked over at Rosalie who was already packing up her stuff, key card and suitcase by her side.

--

"Rose," I hissed, trying, once again, to yank the very revealing neckline closed as I tugged my jacket tighter around me in the chilly New York air. "Why the _hell _did you pick a dress that makes me look like a hooker?!" My voice went up an octave in panic at the end of my sentence.

Rosalie looked stunning in long, red evening gown that her rather large bust filled out nicely, and showered over her every curve, making her look like a lost model wandering the streets I, however, was thrust into a tiny midnight blue gown that made my chest feel like it was going to fall out at any second, and that I was sure was going to make me trip, especially in the silver heels Rosalie had forced upon me. Her hair was done up into a complicated set of curls atop her head while mine was loose and wavy down my back, my bangs simply off to the side.

Normally, I would try to be calm about both of us, two teenage girls going to a party meant for adult men and women, but now I was panicking out of my mind. Rose must have sensed it, because she rubbed my arm soothingly as the limo pulled into the hotel's driveway.

With one last glance, Rose flipped her hair over her shoulder and slid gracefully onto the leather seats as we both tried not to shriek from excitement and nervousness.

--

It was _really _hard not to stare. If it was possible, I would have fainted at the mere sight of the hallway before me. Men and women, dressed accordingly in tuxedos and evening gowns, were milling about in the Italian style ballroom, music gently drifting up from a corner of the room. The room smelled like flowers, tons, considering they were splashed wherever there was a free table. The décor was set just right; mysterious and subtle, leaving the guests relaxed but also curious.

I pressed my finger to my ear, pushing the tiny microphone farther in so that it wasn't noticeable. Barely moving my lips, I tested the system.

"Rose, can you hear me?" She was right next to me, but if I whispered, I new that she would have to listen to her coms to hear me.

"Yeah," came her clear reply and I turned my head to nod at her. We shimmied our way through the guests, catching inquisitive glances from older agents, knowing glances from familiar ones. This was how we operated; separate, yet, as a whole. No one was ever really alone.

I was already scanning the crowd, looking for the two men that we needed to speak to tonight; neither knew that we were here, and if they did, they were pretty damn smart. Carlisle was about the most intelligent hacker, and had confiscated two invitations from a pair of his operatives, whom Carlisle had assured me, were under the finest care while we were attending the event. I shivered, wondering what they had done to retrieve the tiny golden cards.

We mingled and talked with plenty of agents, already knowing who they were—they must have been surprised, having not known us. It really wasn't that hard to fool them—no one, outside of the agents at our school and Carlisle, knew that we had already been trained and were already operating under direct orders from the CIA.

It was confusing, to say the least, but once I spotted a balding head and an odd olive complexion and pale skin, my mind was focused and no one could doubt that I was an agent.

"Rose, I got him," I whispered into the microphone, already making my way slowly, yet determinedly, toward Felix. I was within twenty feet of him when Rosalie whispered something furtively into my ear.

"Um…Bella, we have a problem. Look to your right."

I did as she said, subtly, so as not to draw attention, and almost groaned in agony. A familiar head of copper colored hair was making its way toward Felix, and I was right in the way.

"Aw, crap."

* * *

Okay... now for the totally big thank-yous:

Thanks to _kimmyko, Blaid Drwgg, Twilightaddiction128, twinkle-gal, Samantha Masen Cullen, twilight1192, xTwilightForeverx, His Crooked Smile, nicky-root, ALittleMind, CullenGirlsForever3, No I Didn't, mrazfreak, rocky937, Karen, Maren Mitchell, just. CARS, Ashley0502, Hazel Maraa, Hanalulu17, cookies.n. cr3amx, happyfaced, Bella Iris, bitemeplease235, Abigail, SaveTheWolvesOfLaPush, THE silVer m0.onLiGhtSHAdow, XskyXdancerX, vb-queen-18, iluvmybackpack, _and...

Especially thanks to _Amy Bughten_, who totally made my day with her blush-worthy comments. Thanks guys!

If you want to be up there, you know what to do. (:

P.S.

HO. MY. SCHMEXY VAMPIRES!! Thirty-two reviews?! I almost died. Thanks a ton guys! (Jeesh, someone shut me up!)


	9. Hiding Places

Oh-my-jeez. Guess who got to meet Kristin Stewart on Thursday last week?! Yep, yours truly, at the Hot Topic here. ((((:  
I thought it was pretty cool, and she was uber nice and just as pretty offscreen as on.

Anyways, after that excitement wore off, I figured that you needed another chapter. Although we didn't get as many reviews as we did last time, I was overwhelmed that  
I got as many as I did. (:

Also, CAN YOU BELIEVE TWILIGHT COMES OUT IN THREE HOURS AND 13 MINUTES?!  
And guess who's going to the premiere? XD

Onward:  
BTSI: I like this chapter. It was inspired by a scene from Moulin Rouge, the movie that I absolutely LOVE. Check out the song on my page, if you're interested.  
Pole also up, regarding another Twilight fic that I might do; go and vote for me, please. (:

Alrighty, hope you enjoy! Some stats for your amusement (they excited /me/):  
39,495 words (plus whatever this is O_O'),  
9 Chapters  
127 Reviews (WOOT!)  
5,886 hits (OHMYCULLEN)  
50 Favs  
79 Alerts

HO CRUD.

* * *

_"I can resist anything but Temptation."_

-_Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Lady in Windermere's Fan, 1892, Act I_

_._

_Soundtrack: (El Tango De Roxanne (Roxanne's Tango) ; Moulin Rouge)_

_

* * *

  
_When I was a little girl, after my parents divorced, Renee and I used to play hide and seek. She would count and I would find places to hide. But no matter what I did, Renee always found me first. It was either because I was too noisy, giggling and shuffling my feet, or my clumsy way of hiding behind furniture—in front of it.

So, when I had two choices, to hide or to face Edward straight on, I figured I was doomed.

There were so many things that I could have done properly in my life. Hiding from Edward proved to not be one of them. Instead of gracefully gliding away as if I had no idea who he was and what I was doing in that specific area, I ducked, which immediately brought me knee to knee with the ambassador of France.

Blushing profusely, I tried to squirm around him, but he decided to make my life hell.

"Ah! Bonjour Mademoiselle Dwyer!" He said my mother's name oddly, as if the 'y' was actually another 'e', pronouncing it as 'Dwee-er'. Wincing, I stood as ram-rod straight as I could, hoping that the scene this robust man was making didn't draw Edward's attention.

"Bon soir, Monsieur," I replied, giving him a tight-lipped smile. My french was rusty, but I knew how to say _good evening._ He didn't seem to get the message, and continued on, placing a light finger under my chin to get me to look up at him.

"Tu es très belle, ce soir," he added with a wink, pulling his beautiful wife along with his other arm. I blushed scarlet. How could anyone think that I was beautiful in this whore-of-an-outfit?

"Madame, est-ce qu'elle n'est pas?" he asked her. The ambassador's wife appraised me for a moment before nodding her head and smiling, her red lipstick contrasting against her bleach-white teeth.

"Yes, she's very beautiful, honey."

As the ambassador tried to figure out why she had replied to him in English, and she explained the art of learning more than one language, I was able to slip away, unnoticed.

That is, until I felt a hand on the small of my back, palm to bare flesh.

"You know, that probably wasn't the best idea—trying to hide behind the ambassador of France." The man chuckled, his hot breath tickling my neck.

Whirling around, the man that had commented on my poor hiding skills was a sight to take in—although I would never say that someone could be as dashing as Edward is in a tux, the guy before me almost made the cut. His slick blond hair was cropped short, a square, defined jaw, and sizzling grey eyes.

Uncomfortable underneath his stare, I hurriedly looked around for Edward—well, more particularly Edward's head—and spotted him with Felix a few feet away, his body turned halfway towards me. Once again, the words _Aw, crap _came to mind. He must have seen me.

The guy in front of me decided that he was going to be just as annoying as the ambassador.

"The name's Bond; James Bond," he said in a voice an octave lower than normal, trying to be funny. I smiled politely, sticking a hand out for him to shake.

"Isabella Dwyer." Instead of shaking it, however, he lifted it up to his lips, turning my palm over, giving it a brave kiss; I could feel his teeth scrape across my skin. I shivered, thinking that if this guy wasn't an agent, then he must be some sort of pedophile.

"Lovely to meet you."

I nodded, once again trying to squirm my way around 'James Bond'. Just as I had found myself nearing Rose, looking quite curious as to whom I was with, he gripped my forearm, a saucy song taking over the enchanting music that had been previously playing.

"Would you dance with me, Isabella?" And just like the man I was avoiding, he looked at me from underneath his lashes, a sexy smile plastered on his face. He was handsome, I had to admit, but somehow I knew that he must have pulled that trick off of Edward. There was no way he could have figured out how to do that by himself.

But me, being the idiot that I was and not getting out of there like I should have, I nodded my head, smiling genuinely.

"Sure."

As I said it, I only realized that I couldn't dance: ever. In my entire lifetime, I had never been the most coordinated person, especially when it came to dancing. Plus, when I was trying to be inconspicuous, how was I going to hide on a _dance floor_? Really, Bella, great job, I thought as he led me to that dreaded area.

The music started, and James took on the perfect form and I tried to fold myself around his large frame. Violins hummed quietly, getting louder and more emphasizing with each bow stroke. Vaguely, I remembered this song from a movie I had once seen long ago, the scene being about jealousy between a lover and a courtesan.

_Roxanne, you don't have to put on that red light,_

_Walk the streets for money,_

_You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right._

James started to move and I struggled to keep up with the intricate dance moves that went along with the tango; yes, unfortunately, part of operative training is learning the various dances of every country, including Spain. Lucky me, my partner was patient and didn't yell at me like Rose's did. She was absolutely mortified after that.

As James spun me around quickly, my dress flowing perfectly around me and the music kicking up a notch, I caught sight of a pair of luminous green eyes before James had my attention again.

_Roxanne, you don't have to wear that dress tonight,_

_Roxanne, you don't have to sell your body to the night._

It was then that I felt another presence with us on the dance floor; not just another couple, but _Edward. _The Edward that I had moments before been thinking about was dancing with a beautiful woman, looking so radiant that she might burst, a bright pink gown perfecting her every curve.

Oh dear God, please help me, I thought, as we moved across the dance floor, my foot catching on James' shoe.

Instead of tumbling toward the floor, James made it seem as if I had fallen on purpose, spinning me slightly before dipping, his hand hovering across my stomach and down my neck. He looked like he wanted to eat me.

I stood up as the song became sweeter, my eyes locked beyond James' head toward Edward, who was staring directly back at me.

_His eyes upon your face,_

_His hand, upon your hand,_

_His lips caress your skin, _

_It's more than I can stand!_

Our connection didn't break as the woman dancing with Edward demanded his attention and James hitched my leg over his thigh. My head snapped back to look at the cocky grin on his face and I took a deep, calming breath. Arching my back, I tried to do the one graceful move that I had never accomplished in my tango dancing career: the swan.

Ironic enough, that's not what it was called, but my teacher said that it should be named so. Hearing his voice in my head, I followed his instructions and bowed backwards, feeling his hand on my lower back supporting me as I flung myself around and back up, my hair whipping wildly.

Edward's amazement wasn't even hidden, but neither was the flush of my cheeks as I stared at him.

_Why does my heart cry?_

_Feelings I can't fight!_

_You're free to leave me,_

_But just don't deceive me,_

_And please…believe me when I say,_

_I love you!_

Where did these people get this singer? He was majestic. I didn't have time to contemplate the vocals before I was spun out, spinning into this unknown agent with the tango dancing genes, whom at the moment was watching me as if I was a piece of meat.

As I came into his arms again, his hand came up to my throat, soothing the skin there; I almost choked.

"You're marvelous," he said, his breath in between panting and a normal pace.

"Thanks," I muttered, just as out of breath.

He spun me out again, but this time, a separate pair of arms caught me, tugging at my waist as my hand fell away from James'. Shocked, I was whirled into the one man that I had almost ten minutes ago been avoiding, a hungry and almost lustful expression on his face. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see the woman in pink and James confusedly dancing with each other as they looked over at us.

Edward, who seemed oblivious, leaned into me, his body pressing tightly against my torso and whispered along with the singer, "Yo que te quiero tanto, que voy a hacer?"

I shivered in his grasp; his movements were so much more sensual than James' and I could feel his muscles pressed divinely into my soft flesh, moving with me so much more brilliantly than I had ever danced before. Every step he took was defined by his tight muscles, making mine quiver in anticipation.

His hand gripped the small of my back, his thumb making intricate patterns into the bare skin. His cool breath was light and tingly on my neck.

Quickly, I translated his words in my head: _And I who love you so much; what am I going to do? _

Shocked, I barely realized that we were still moving. But, at the same time, it was just Edward; and we had only known each other for a few weeks, as well as the fact that he could also be using me.

At this point, I pulled away from him, stepping back and snapping my foot in the air, twirling with a devilish smirk, hardly bothering with the audience we had drawn now.

_Why does my heart cry? _

_Feelings I can't fight!_

The song was nearing to an end, but Edward looked no where near finished. He grasped me forcefully around the waist, his fingers probably bruising the skin there. But I didn't care.

The dance became faster paced, the singer's voice going up an octave and dragging out the chords. With one final whirl, Edward yanked me up against him, our breathing labored, hearts racing.

Chest heaving, I finally looked around me and at the guests clapping and smiling in awe as they conversed loudly about the two couples on the dance floor.

All four of us put on fake smiles, bowing lightly; I scurried off of the floor and toward Rosalie as quickly as I could. She stood off to the side, near the food table, eyes wide and jaw gaping.

"Rosalie," I hissed, snapping my fingers in front of her face to get her attention.

She blinked once, her eyes widening as they focused on me, "Bella…that was _hot!_" she exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes. Of course Rose would be thinking about how I could dance without tripping. But we had more pressing matters.

I grabbed her arm, eliciting a high, "Hey!" from her as I led her to a secluded corner.

"Rose, this is _bad,_" I said, emphasizing with my tone of voice.

She opened her mouth to say something when she focused on something behind my head, one of her famous, charming smiles spreading itself across her face.

"Ah, Mr. Mancini, how lovely to see you again."

Turning slowly, the very same man that I had been so determined to get to tonight stood before me, a broad, though slightly creepy, smile spread across his arrogant face; and standing right beside him, slightly overwhelmed by the man's massive form, was Edward.

"Rosalie, lovely to see you here. I saw your mother's friend Melanie just the other day," he answered in a deep voice that echoed around the tiny area that we seemed to have occupied.

Her smile faltered and I knew that it was a bad thing for him to know who her friends were: weaknesses weren't an option.

"And who is this enchanting young lady?" Felix turned his stare upon me and I shifted, slightly uncomfortable; I didn't miss the way Edward's eyes tightened at his boss.

"This is my _partner, _Isabella Dwyer," Rosalie replied, bringing her hand up as if to gesture to me. Felix's eyes raked up and down my dress as if he were giving me an x-ray, almost the same way that James had done earlier. It made me feel like I was prey and he was the predator.

Edward cleared his throat, his boss startling and turning to him as if he had forgotten that he was there. Then, in a manner that suggested that he really disliked having him there, he shouldered Edward forward grunting, "This is one of my agents, Edward Masen."

First, taking Rosalie's hand, Edward placed a light kiss upon it, seeming to have a silent conversation with my best friend as she smirked evilly at him. When his eyes finally rested on my face, I could feel the heat flood my neck and ears, the blush inevitable.

Now that I could see him up close, I hardly bothered admitting it: He was gorgeous. Not just gorgeous, but handsome and beautiful and all things right in the world…

His pale skin was carefully contrasted against a dark black velvet that seemed more to match the sound of his voice than his body composition; which isn't to say that it didn't do anything for his body. I could see the muscles that ran down his neck and to his torso easily, and I gulped loudly.

His hair was disheveled, mostly from our heated dance, but partly in its own accordance with nature, the perfect copper/bronze color illuminated in the faint glow of lamps surrounding our heads.

Needless to say: _sa-woon._

He gently lifted my hand to those flawless lips of his, the ones that I had had the privilege of kissing, his eyes looking up at me from beneath his lusciously long lashes: he did it _way _better than James.

"Good evening," he breathed, his kiss leaving me slightly woozy on my feet. Ugh.

"Hello," I replied cordially, trying to clear my head.

Rosalie turned away as someone came to talk to her, and Felix was busy talking to one of the agents in my division whose eyes kept flickering between Edward and I.

Said person was eyeing me curiously, eyes flashing to the cameras around the room. But the most important thing was happening just beyond Edward's head, that in my position, I could see easily.

"Um… I have to use the restroom?" It came out like a question and I tried not to wince at how disbelieving I was.

Rosalie nodded to me slightly, having seen what I had, and Edward stared as Felix waved his hand absently in my direction.

Excusing myself, I 'got lost' and followed the corridor that I had seen Marcus Gallo and Aro Trasilli float down. It was crucial that I made sure their conversation was reverberated back to Carlisle, because if they happened upon something that we didn't want discovered, they would probably get it.

Aro Trasilli was perhaps the best agent in the history of operatives; that is, until he got old and became head of the whole CIA. He ran the secret company with one other man: Caius Felinacco, whom was almost just as ancient as him. It was rumored that they were expanding and Marcus was to become a third 'CEO', but to do so, he had to prove himself by taking something that Carlisle had worked long and hard to protect.

The only problem with Aro was that he loved arguments, more specifically competition between divisions, for something that he wanted or was too lazy to get by himself.

However, the punishment for not meeting his demands was something no one talked about; having your entire memory erased and going catatonic was not something that anyone wanted.

So, taking off my heels, I tiptoed to an open door, the light spilling into the empty hallway. Using my cell phone, I quickly hacked into the security system of the hotel and disarmed the cameras; I didn't need them having footage of me sneaking into the room.

I lowered my eye to the crack in the door and saw no one. Odd, I thought, but nudged the wood open, looking around as if lost and surprised that I had reached this room.

It was just as grand as the rest of the hotel, the lights twinkling above my head and the furniture stiff and polished with non-use. To my left, I could see Marcus and Aro conversing, their voices muffled in the adjoining room. I stepped forward, trying to make for the closet, when the floorboards squeaked.

Their conversation halted, an eerie silence overflowing my ears.

_Crap! _I thought, frantically looking for a place to hide. Once again, I hoped to God that I wouldn't get caught; there wasn't a James in sight, so I believed that I had a fairly good chance.

--

The door opened slowly, Aro's head poking out. Trying not to breathe, I watched his head swivel around the room, glancing past my hiding place behind the tapestry to the open window leading to the balcony.

He left the door open, and I could hear his footsteps echo as he walked back to Marcus.

Straining my ears, I caught part of their resumed argument.

"I'm particularly fond of that Edward Cullen—" my heart stopped before starting back into a sprint; "but he seemed a little too enticed by the woman on the dance floor today," Aro was saying.

My heartbeat was erratic against my ribcage, so much so that I thought it would break, the sound so loud I was sure that they could hear it.

"Ah, Isabella. Yes, we've been tracking her at her school. She's fairly even matched with the other agents, but Edward has assured me that he's playing his part. He's got her unquestionably wrapped up; there shouldn't be any problems with her."

My first thoughts revolved around Marcus. Edward was Felix's agent, so why would Edward be reporting to him? And in the even that Edward was a double-agent, wouldn't Felix have already known? I frowned, thinking that this mission was a lot more complicated than Carlisle let on.

My frown deepened suddenly, and it seemed as if my heart had shrunk about seven times its original size, sinking below my stomach until I thought that I would throw up. He really didn't even care?

Straightening my spine, I listened in to the rest, vowing never again to trust so easily; men like Edward Cullen were never real. Could never be trusted. And I certainly wasn't going to be made a fool of, not even by one as sexy as Edward.

"I wouldn't be so sure. She looked pretty impressive out there; the chemistry between them seemed palpable."

Footsteps sounded just as Marcus was about to reply, a light knock being made on the door. Watching through the veil that was covering my frail body, I held my breath, waiting to see who it could be.

Aro strode over like something on a cloud, opening the door in one lithe movement, reminding me so much of a cat that it was uncanny.

My thoughts stopped and every body part stopped functioning before I broke out into a sweat and my heart started hammering again. Why did Edward _have_ to ruin my life?  
"Sir? You're needed back out at the party. Someone's been asking around for you." He raised his eyebrow at his supposed-boss'-rival, almost as if secretly challenging him to announce him a liar.

"I'll be right out, let me just lock up my computer. Aro, would you…?" I could see Aro nod his head as they silently went into the other room, leaving Edward alone; well, technically _we _were alone, but he didn't know that.

In the time that I had been standing behind the tapestry, I must have relaxed, my too-long dress flowing down over my feet now that I wasn't wearing the dangerously high, high heels. I spotted it just as Edward did: my dress was peeking out from underneath the curtains, the brilliant midnight blue color standing out against the dull brown floor.

I didn't dare move as Edward stepped closer, slowly, squinting at it as if he could see it better that way. His beautiful face was once more within reach, and I tensed, hatred for him bubbled up in my heart, and fear practically oozing out of every pore in my body. He reached out, as if to pull it up, and at that point, I swore I could smell him he was so close, when Aro and Marcus strode back out of the room, calling after him.

"Masen! Come along," Marcus was snapping, irritation written all over his face.

Edward glanced curiously at the curtains, gazing right at me. I held my breath.

"Masen!"

"Coming," he muttered, his face twisting into anger.

As soon as he was gone, and the faint echo of their footsteps faded from my hearing abilities, I stepped out from my hiding place, trying not to collapse into giggles. That was the closest I had ever come to being discovered.

Then, remembering the task at hand, I jumped up, padding over to the door opposite me, opening it slowly.

There was a large mahogany desk set into the center of the room, old, Italian oil paintings hanging on every wall, dark shadows flitting around the room as the leaves of the tree outside the window fluttered in the wind.

A loud crash and laughter from the main room brought me back to the present. I had to work quickly.

Stepping around the obnoxious desk, my fingers found purchase on the keyboard, my eyes dilating with the amount of light that the tiny little computer was emanating. The screen's words were moving quickly, and the firewall popped up.

Panicking, I tried everything I knew before calling in Rose for help.

"Rose! Firewall…two minutes…how?" She could figure out what I'm asking.

"What year is it?" she muttered, probably trying to be inconspicuous.

"Um…" I squinted, trying to find the tiny number. The timer said fifty seconds.

"It's the newer version, just came out," I said hurriedly.

"Use my own formula," she replied flippantly.

"Oh, well, why didn't I think of that."

Muttering to myself, I quickly put in what Rosalie considered her 'formula,' a series of codes combined to make one big mess of confusion, but ultimately a system hacker.

Working perfectly, the system shut down fifteen seconds before the alert was sent out. I smiled, silently thanking my friend, and cracked my knuckles, getting to work.

--

I had been working on the project for fifteen minutes when I stumbled upon something; it was a file, Carlisle's name attached, along with the CIA important documents file. Curious, I opened it and found much more than I could have imagined.

Carlisle Cullen had been a part of an underground team of chemists working on a cure for a chemical not legal in the US, having been found in an agents body some years back. The result of the experiment, however, was deadly, and almost everyone except Carlisle and two of his partners made it out without catching the disease that they had unknowingly created.

This formula was saved, despite what it did to humans, and carefully stored away from any prying eyes. No one had mentioned it, and so far, the documents that I was perusing didn't say what had happened to those unfortunate agents either.

I was leaning forward, trying to get a better look into the system when the door opened, and I saw Aro's and Marcus' head turned away from me, but stepping into the room.

"Aw, come on," I muttered, ducking under the desk. _Shit!_ I had left the files open. Oh well, I would just have to hope for the best.

"…that's pretty brilliant, Masen. Did you get her to fall for that all by yourself?" Marcus boasted, a thoughtful Aro trailing along behind him with a swish of his tux. The lights turned on, and I carefully collected my silk dress in my hands, trying to be as unnoticeable as possible.

"Yes, sir," Edward answered.

The chair that I had been previously sitting in moved, and more light spilled onto where I was hiding, and I scooted further back, my spine colliding with the wood of the desk.

"Well, Masen, you certainly have—" Aro started, but I could almost see him stop as his sentence choked off and a shuffling on the desk confirmed that he found the open files.

"Marcus, go get Caius for me, would you?" Aro muttered, not seeming at all like his usual happy and joyful self. My heart hammered against my chest for what felt like the tenth time that night.

I heard Marcus leave the room, before the chair scraped the floor and Aro said to Edward, "Stay here. Let no one in, and if they try to come in by force…" he trailed off, leaving the option up to Edward. I gulped.

He too, quickly exited, and once again it was Edward and I alone. My breathing, however, had calmed, and I started calculating my chances of talking to Rosalie without Edward hearing. They were pretty slim.

I shifted my foot slightly, the noise not audible. Sighing, I got ready to spend the next hour under that desk when Edward's tense voice called out, "Bella, come out. I'd like to talk to you."

* * *

**The thank you's:**

_foofoocuddlypoops4ever, someonesayCullen?!, LadyT02k, Samantha Masen Cullen, twilightlover116, xTwilightForeverx, twilight1192, Arastas, twiLie, vb-queen-18, AlwaysAround888, XskyXdancerX, twinkle-gal, Blaid Drwgg, nicky-root, bitemeplease235, Vi0lentSerenity, twilighter256 _**and...**

_ALittleMind_: Hey, do you love this story? XD Thanks for the compliments!

_Amy Cullchamp: _Seriously, you're my new best friend. (: you give me so many compliments, and I love that you love my story! Hope you liked this one, you Edward lover, you. XD

_Twilightaddiction128: _You're trying to butter me up, aren't you? XD Well, you made it on here, so congrats, it worked. :P

_FRK921: _Loved your articulate response. :P

Twenty-two.

WOOT!

* * *


	10. Complications

Alright. I'm not commenting on the Twilight movie except to say that you must go in to see it with an open mind. Literally.

Mhhh...other than that, I have a lot of threatening reviews about Chance and Jacob, so I decided to take a break with them. ^_^' Heh.

I seriously LOVE you reviewers. BUT, you know, I learned an interesting lesson: If you tell people not to review on an author's note, they do it anyway! XD LAWLS. So, if you can't review on this chapter (because I took down the author's note like I said I would), then review on the others, saying that 'This review is for Chapter ten' or whatever, as long as I know what chapter the review is for, kay? :P

I WAS so excited thought that I got as many reviews as I did, and thanks to those who have stuck through with this story from the beginning! Now, I know that updates are erratic, but hey, what can you expect of a freshman? So, sorry for the wait, here's your late Holiday present.

BTSI: If you don't know what the movie is in this chapter, go to my lookup for the previews.  
Also, I don't mean to offend anyone by making Bella celebrate Christmas, it is just easier to write since I am a Christian. So, no offence to anyone out there with different celebrations going on. (:  
Happy Holidays.

* * *

_"Sometimes, the lies you tell are less frightening than the loneliness you might feel if you stopped telling them."_

**-**_Brock Clarke, 2007_

.

_Soundtrack: (Somewhere Over the Rainbow; Israel Kamakawiwoole)  
_(Different from the original, listen to his version to get a feel of this chapter)

* * *

Damn. Really, you'd think that the guy wasn't perfect at everything, yet, there he goes, knowing that I'm somewhere in the room (he probably knew that I was under the desk…). Maybe if I pretended like I really wasn't there he would realize his mistake and—

"Bella, if you don't come out soon, they're going to come back, and Aro probably won't be happy to find you hiding there." His tone was curt and short, as if he were giving instructions to a two year old.

Sighing, I scrambled as gracefully as I could (which was: not very) from under the desk and stood before him, crossing my arms with defiance.

His jaw was taut, and I could see the muscles of his neck clearly defined with the restraint that he was putting on them; he wasn't looking at my face—instead, his eyes were raking up and down the stupid dress that Rosalie had forced upon me, and I immediately felt my face flush crimson.

When his gaze finally pulled up to mine, it was like we were back on the dance floor, that same fiery passion and hunger there again. I ignored it though, making my face as stern and angry as I could: facades were so easily put up these days.

"What? Have you never seen a girl before?" I muttered sarcastically, still blushing under his stare. I looked away from him, but I thought I caught a slight smirk on his face before it disappeared out of my line of vision.

Then the seriousness was back, and he, too, crossed his arms over his muscular chest, the fabric crinkling in the quiet around us.

"Two things you need to know," he started, "are that you need to stay away from James; the second would be that you should _never_ wear that dress again in public." Although his expression was nonchalant, I could see that something was bothering him—I wasn't that oblivious. My eyes narrowed.

"Well, I have two things to _ask_ you,"—I shot him a dirty look for his commanding tone earlier—"Why should I? And, I don't particularly like this dress anyways, if you ought to know." Gosh. Men were so complicated. First they're all over you at a dance floor, making you think that they'd do you right there, but then they're asking you never to wear the most revealing and sexy dress that one could ever wear. Mixed signals? Tell me about it.

His face was grim as he stepped toward me, light reflecting off of his copper hair and his eyes glinting maliciously.

"Why should you stay away from James? Why, you ask? Because he's a double agent—"

"And you're not?" I snapped, but he ignored me.

"—and he'll use you in a heartbeat—"

"Like you haven't already?"

That stopped him. His eyes narrowed even more than they had, and he stepped toward me again. This time, he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me to his chest. My eyes stayed on his, watching every twitch in his expression. He leaned in, his nose grazing my exposed collarbone. I shuddered out a breath.

"Since when have I _ever _used you, Bella?" he asked quietly, submissively.

I tried to remember what I had learned from behind the tapestry, but my mind was so occupied that I couldn't even remember what we were doing here in the first place.

"Um…" I muttered, watching him look up at me from beneath his gorgeous lashes. "Marcus and Aro…?"

He snorted, pulling away slightly. Once again, his eyes, playful now, narrowed but I could see the relief in them, the loose green streaks brightening.

"Bella, you don't seriously believe them, do you? I have to pretend…to keep our secret. To keep you safe," he murmured, his lips moving impossibly close to my own as he leaned over me. My eyelids fluttered closed, all of my resolve gone, when we heard sharp heels on the floor in the other room.

In a movement so swift it seemed impossible, Edward pushed me behind the tapestry again, standing in front of it with a gun at the ready. My heart stopped when I saw who stepped into the room.

"Edward," he purred, his eyes glinting maliciously.

"James," Edward replied, standing stiffly and protectively in front of me. He lowered the gun ever so slightly, but it didn't look like he was entirely sure that James wasn't going to attack him. Although I was pretty sure that James had no clue I was behind the curtain, his eyes flickered briefly to my hiding place and I let out a soft whimper.

"Where did that delicious little girl on the dance floor go to? I know you two wandered off alone somewhere…" he trailed off, waving his hand in any general direction.

"Stay out of my business, Rogue," Edward snarled, clenching his fists.

James held up his hands, palms facing Edward in a gesture of surrender and innocence. "Hey, no need to be hostile. It's not as if she's your girlfriend or anything…" Once again, he left the option open for Edward's interpretation, merely raising an eyebrow when he shifted under James' gaze.

"No, she's not. But that doesn't give you the right to—" Edward started, but James cut him off by smiling brilliantly.

"Good. Then we don't have a fight on our hands—let me know if you see her waltzing around. I wouldn't mind taking a bite out of _that_—"

"Shut the hell up about her, James," Edward growled. His fists clenched before me, but my eyes were on James, who was smirking confidently. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wooden desk, toying with a pen he found there.

"Oh? A bit over protective, aren't we, Eddie? I mean, who knows what would happen if someone in your department found out about an international affair between opposing agents..." He _tsked_, shaking his head as if he were sad that it had come to that conclusion. However, when he looked up at Edward, I could see what he had been talking about earlier—there was a malicious tint to his eyes, his lips curled into a sneer as he stared Edward down.

And then, just as abruptly as I had seen it, James' expression cleared and he looked cheerful again.

"Well, have a good night, Eddie, I'll see you around the office…or maybe I'll run into your little girlfriend coincidentally one day." He smiled that sardonic smile, and with a light padding of footsteps, he was gone.

I waited, not trusting myself enough to even take full breaths until Edward's shoulders relaxed and he stuffed the gun back into its holster.

I stepped from around the curtain and slowly made my way over to him. He was still stiff, and I worried that if I touched him it would make things worse. Instead, I walked around him until I stood face to face with his blank stare, watching his pupils dilate—looking at nothing. It scared me out of my mind to see him that way.

"Edward?" I asked softly, wondering if James could have really gotten this bad of a reaction from the greatest actor/agent that I knew.

He sighed, finally moving to run an agitated hand through his hair again, making it stand up in odd ways that would have been laughable in a different situation.

"He's right, you know," he murmured, looking up at me with an agonized expression. I stepped forward, reaching out a hand to his cheek, but he stepped back. My heart gave a lurch.

"This isn't safe; I can't risk anything, and neither can you."

"Edward…"

"Besides," he continued, "what we have is merely something that blossomed from a physical attraction; it might never amount to anything more."

The faint tug on my heart suddenly felt like a full out slash, ripping my insides to pieces as my stomach dropped like I was on a roller coaster. This couldn't be happening. What had he just said about not using me? Oh, right. That he hadn't. What a fantastic lie.

_"_What happened to not being afraid?_"_ I accused, pointedly staring at his face for confirmation that he had been using me. He gazed back, unfazed.

_"_I'm a good liar, Bella. We have to be, to be in this business._"_

It really was hard not to notice the truth behind his words. The real Edward Cullen behind the mask. I couldn't decipher him, and I hadn't realized it, but I was tired of trying. Maybe this was for the best anyway. Deciding that I didn't want to be the weaker one in this break-off—break up, clean break, whatever you wanted to call it—I stood straighter and adjusted the front of my dress, which immediately caught his attention. I had intended for it to be a more subtle movement, but his eyes missed nothing.

"True…I guess I'll see you around Edward Cullen." I stared at him, again, waiting for a response—any response like the one that he had had on my heart—but none came. He stared back at me with such a calm demeanor that it really was easy to believe that everything he'd just told me minutes before had been a lie. But then why go through the dramatic motions? This man made my head hurt.

"Yes. We'll see each other again, Isabella."

But like all other things, he lied to me, and I didn't see Edward Cullen after that.

--

The weeks went by and I was able to excuse myself from the talent show that Angela had so dutifully put together. To say that she was disappointed would be an understatement, but the way that I was acting must have helped her come to the decision not to pester me about it. I didn't really want to talk to anyone those days.

Rosalie made no motions to help me cope with whatever was going on with my body. I didn't feel like eating half the time, and every mirror I walked past showed the same sunken face, devoid of emotion. What was happening to me?

Jacob stopped trying to involve me in after school activities with his friends; it seems that all of the town boys had enough money to enter the boarding school. They just never had enough reason to before.

Mary Alice and Emmett hadn't done anything out of the ordinary, which was just as well considering I wouldn't have been able to do anything about it anyway. Rose was working overtime just to help me keep up with my part of the mission. I was like a walking, talking zombie.

Chance Hensley was the one person that seemed to have a renewed interest in me after the ball incident. He wouldn't stop asking me to go out, maybe have lunch with him, possibly a night stroll on the sidewalk…And each time he asked, it seemed harder and harder to say no to him. The impossible urge that I had to be near Chance was overwhelming, which made me stay further from him than I would have thought would be necessary for any human being.

The abnormal hair colors never stopped changing—once a week, maybe even two if the student body was lucky; Chance Hensley's hair migrated through the color spectrum. His moods seemed to match the shade perfectly, which no one seemed to notice except me. It was embarrassing to think that I watched him more than anybody else did.

Christmas came and went with a flourish, presents being handed to and fro from one person to the next. I was one of the lucky few, in my mind, that didn't receive many.

Rosalie found it prudent to buy me new underwear—bra set and panties included. Though I refused to model it for her, I did end up keeping it stashed somewhere in the bottom drawer of my dresser.

Charlie sent over a few homemade goods—cheated off of Sue Clearwater, no doubt—as well as first editions of my favorite classics. In the end, I bought him a new fishing pole and bait, along with a guidebook, _Cooking for Dummies._

Carlisle received stationary paper complete with his name engraved at the top; hopefully the paper would be convincing enough that he would write his family sometime to tell them that he was well. In return, he found it necessary to buy me a small diamond bracelet—though I refused and told him to take it back, he was somehow able to force it onto my wrist with the reassurance that it was a very small karat and that he had bought it cheap off of an elderly neighbor in town.

Looking down at it, I remembered the ring that was sitting somewhere in my jewelry box, given to me by _him._ I hadn't put it on since he had left. Funny, I never gave it back to him.

When I walked by the recreational room that day, Mike dragged me in to watch _Fred Clause_, a holiday movie that was supposed to be hilarious. The beginning was still in progress, and I could see little Fred talking to his only companion: _'Chirp-chirp'. _

"_I don't wish to hate him," Fred says. "He means well, and I promised to be the best big brother in the world."_

The bird made high-pitched, lovely sounding chirps, while young Fred gazed at him.

"_You're the only one that understands me, Chirp-chirp."_

Suddenly, the tree fell down with a crash, and there was little Saint Nicolas with an axe, proclaiming that because his brother loved the tree so much, he would take it inside for him.

The only problem was, the birdhouse that Chirp-chirp lived in was destroyed, and the little blue bird flew away, having no home now. Then a narrator started speaking, his deep voice resonating in the silent commons room.

"_Chirp-chirp never returned."_

I stopped watching after that.

--

It was so hard to think that nearly over a month ago I had been daydreaming about being with Edward Cullen; now, the New Year was nearly a few days away. Funny how time passes…even for me.

The real change in my monotone life came two days before the greatest celebration of the year ,when Carlisle called me down to his office—I hadn't talked to him since Christmas, and I wanted to keep it that way. He always seemed interested in trying to get me to locate Edward's location, but I dismissed it every time; he didn't seem to understand that I didn't want anymore to do with the Cullens, save him. Carlisle knew everything that had happened between Edward and I, and it was a little more than awkward to discuss the details with him.

I rapped lightly on the door, looking down meekly when it swung open to reveal his semi-jolly face.

"Bella," he chided sweetly, motioning for me to pick my head up and come in.

I did, quietly and gracefully—something that would have had me jumping up and down if it weren't for the withdrawal my body seemed to be going through.

He sat opposite of me, his fingers stacked in a pyramid in front of his beautiful face, the picture of contemplation. Finally, he straightened up and shuffled some papers onto his desk, pushing them toward me with a cleared throat.

I gazed at them a moment before reaching my hand out to gently pick them up. His loud voice startled me as I opened the tiny folder up, hoping that another agent was coming to replace Edward—I didn't think I could keep up with that kind of responsibility now.

"Bella, I know things have been different for you around here, but I found out recently that my son"— he cleared his throat again, adjusting his tie—"has discovered the whereabouts of the cure that we were trying to keep safe here." His gaze locked sternly upon mine, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I flushed. I hadn't told him that I knew what it was he was trying to keep hidden, and as part of my final field test, that required points to be taken off. Damn trivial details.

"So," he continued, looking a bit more good-natured than he should have been about this fact, "you, Rosalie, and Jasper have been invited to be guests at the Redthorne Preparatory School for Boys to demonstrate what we teach here and to be representatives of our half of the nation." If I wasn't shocked enough, when I looked back down at the folder that was in my hands, I found out _why _Carlisle wanted us to go.

There, on the colored pamphlet was a group of teenagers, waving and smiling at the camera; the caption beneath listed the names of this tour group for the school, with additional information on how these boys aided the new members to their high-class society. And highlighted in bright yellow marker was the one person that I never thought I'd see again.

Edward Anthony Masen-Cullen.

--

"Crap. Bella! Did I pack my make-up bag? Oh, what about my toothbrush? Ugh, I just know I'm forgetting _something_…" Rosalie ranted, punching her forehead as we headed to the security check-out. Jasper was as calm as ever, scanning the crowd for any sign of Mary Alice or Emmett McCarty. Unfortunately, the duo that we had planned on leaving behind was also informed of the new location of the cure, and thus were forced on the same plan as our team. Seeing Jasper so high strung was unnerving, but I figured it was because he wasn't big enough to take on Emmett if we got into a fight for the cure. I shrugged off his anxiety.

"You packed the make-up bag, and your toothbrush was inside," I reminded her, glancing at the police officer double checking my bag. Hopefully they wouldn't check the inside of my brush—there was a rack of ammunition in there.

We shuffled slowly through the crowd, in absolutely no hurry to be on a plane for six hours straight. To ride all the way to Chicago without any pit stops was going to be terrifying—I'd have so much time to think about my situation and how I'd made it to this point in my life.

However, once we were on the plane, I made a snap decision and strolled casually up to Mary Alice, or 'Alice' as she preferred.

"Is this seat taken?" I asked kindly, motioning to the only one available next to hers. Alice's eyes drifted behind me where I heard what I was sure was a sigh, and then snapped back to my face as a wide grin appeared, almost blinding me.

"Nope," she accented, patting the green chair and sidling over more toward the window. Stowing my carry on into the apartment over head, I sat back with a _huff _and closed my eyes, waiting for lift off.

"You know," I heard a tinkling voice start, "I really don't even like this business. If it were my decision, I'd be at a fashion-major private school right now," she mused as I opened my eyes. Mary Alice Brandon wasn't looking at me, and I didn't know her well enough to know her facial expressions—but the one she wore currently easily explained that what she was saying was true. And, unlike Edward, I immediately trusted her.

"I don't know," I sighed. "It's exciting and fun, but how do you know if it's really made for you?" I asked, mostly to myself, partly to her. By now, Rosalie had seated herself in front of me, Jasper to my side in the middle isle. He looked slightly put out, but I think it was mostly to do with the fact that Emmett McCarty was now seating himself beside Rose, and he had no one to chat with. Definitely. Alice began to talk, and I watched his eyes flicker to her for a moment and then look away quickly. Huh. Maybe…

"—it's so impersonal. With fashion, you have to know what the person's style is, their personality to actually be successful. That's what makes it so much fun," she was saying in that high-pitched voice. At first, I thought that maybe she was just putting it out there for show—but the more I talked to her, the easier it was to realize that she wasn't lying to me. She was being a normal person.

"We should totally go shopping sometime," she sighed.

"No!" I exclaimed, almost panicking.

She looked up at me, slightly confused while I explained, "I don't like trying on all those clothes. And usually I can't afford anything. I _hate_ shopping." I scowled.

Alice looked at me with pure shock before her tiny little lips pursed into a thin, determined line, and she muttered, "Not for long, you won't."

I think that was when I became truly afraid of Alice Brandon.

--

The flight was uneasy, the turbulence being high, but Alice proved to be an easy distraction. Soon enough, I found myself telling her about Charlie, and mentioning my worries about him being alone. She was just so easy to talk to—and unlike most people I met, she didn't just listen. She reciprocated the information I was giving her, telling me about her own life. She had an adoptive mother who designed houses and decorated them for a living; her parents had died a little while before she was born. She loved the color pink and lived for rainy days. Her favorite kind of pet was a poodle.

It was hard to imagine that her fifth grade history teacher had forced her into this job, but from her description of the man, I didn't ask for anymore details—even I would have succumbed to an icy glare and a snapping ruler.

But the most important thing that I learned that day was this: Alice was no longer a threat.

One down, two to go. It shouldn't be hard…right?

The five us were swiftly off the plane and in the lobby, luggage at the ready and brochures in hand. Emmett and Rose hadn't separated, and as soon as Alice left my side Jasper went to flank her. I felt like the odd man out, but I didn't complain—somehow, I knew that they were doing more than just getting to know the enemy. Surprisingly, it didn't bother me. I couldn't be a hypocrite, could I?

Definitely. But that would be entirely rude and uncalled for, making me the worst friend ever. Maybe…?

Rosalie spotted them before I did. A small grouping of two to four boys stood gathered in front of the baggage claim area, gazing directly at us with serene smiles—well, all except for one. One, that happened to own a pair of intense green eyes directed at me, hard as emeralds and cold as ice. Damnit. Couldn't my life get _any _easier?

--

The boys that were with us had led us to three waiting limos, unsurprisingly, and introduced themselves as Alec, Laurent, and of course, Edward.

Suddenly, my soul felt like it was singing, and I was so giddy that I wanted to laugh or scream, maybe do both at the same time. The silly grin that appeared on my face had been as rare as snow in August. Jasper noticed the immediate change in me and commented on it. "Hey Bella, I think you're actually glowing," he laughed, causing my cheeks and neck to flush red. Alec and Laurent chuckled naturally, but Edward watched me observantly, inspecting my face. I shook my hair free from my shoulders so that he couldn't see me.

It was already hard enough for me to locate our entourage considering the heavy snowfall that they had going on; everywhere within two feet of me was hidden in beautiful flecks of white mush, quickly descending from the sky. A memory flashed in my mind, and I scowled in Edward's direction.

I ended up in a car with Laurent, Alice, and Emmett, all of them bouncing anxiously as we drove away from the airport and rounded the highway. Soon enough, however, the conversation was flowing and I was fighting with my eyelids against the glass window.

The drive was too long for my taste, considering that we were in one of the biggest cities in the U.S. but I figured it out once I caught sight of the school. It took longer because we had to go to the country side of the city—father out from the industrial means of transportation.

It was hard to take in the first time I saw it all—the estate that the school had been built on must have been over one hundred acres. The first thing that caught my eye was the boy on horseback, obviously racing the man alongside the fence. It intrigued me, but my history with clumsiness made me rethink wanting to try it.

Everything within arms reach must have been covered with about ten tons of clothing, including scarves, winter jackets and mittens. Couples wandered across the frozen wasteland, clinging to each other as the snow and wind combined their efforts to terrorize this area of Chicago.

As my eyes adjusted to the scenario and the dismal light that accompanied such weather conditions, we stepped out of the ostentatious car and stared down our new home.

--

The first thing that met me was fluffy, caramel colored hair, instantly rendering me blind to the area surrounding me. Stunned, I stiffened and tried to loosen the iron hold that had locked itself around my shoulders in a tight hug.

"Isabella! Rosalie! Jasper, Emmett, I'm so glad that you accepted my invitation to the school." The woman grinned brightly, stepping away from me. I was mesmerized, not just by the beautiful hair that I had now identified as hers. She was young, maybe late twenties at most, and had a heart shaped face that any model would die for. Her long lashes flickered across her high cheekbones, and it was then that I realized her pale skin, similar to my own.

"I'm Esme Platt and welcome to Redthorne Preparatory School for Boys!" she exclaimed, her eyes dancing delightedly. She went around the circle, shaking each of our hands exuberantly when, suddenly, Esme caught sight of Alice and squealed, running toward her.

"I was wondering when you were going to notice me, Mom," Alice chided, laughing lightly and hugging her 'mother' back. Now I was confused: she had never mentioned that her mom was also the principle here.

Alice noticed my confused stare and shrugged her shoulders, as if that motion was supposed to let me know that she'd tell me later. Good thing I talked to her on the plane; I never would have been able to decipher any of this if I hadn't.

"Come, come, let's get your schedules and then I'll pair you up with a tour guide." She flicked her wrist in one direction and before I could bend back over for my luggage to follow her, she was already half way down the corridor, gliding gracefully among the dormitories.

Her office wasn't new, like the school, either. It was ancient in that you'd-expect-cobwebs sort of way. But so far, as my eyes scanned over the gold paint and delicate wallpaper, I hadn't seen any. I shuddered, thinking what would happen if I _did _happen upon a resting spider and it's spindly legs.

"Now," she started, turning to her desk, "I presume that the boys won't have any trouble fitting in. You girls, however," she looked up momentarily, "might find it hard getting into the rhythm of things. As we all know, men are extremely different from women, and this will make you…more noticeable, I suppose." She grinned mischievously, her hands fluttering over papers that were strewn across her desk.

"Alright, so, here are the schedules. Mostly, they will match up with at least one of the tour guides that you've met today, so it shouldn't be a problem if you don't know where to go." Esme passed me a sheet of paper that had my full name as well as my gender and birth date printed on it, a graph below it displaying several names of teachers and the courses that they taught.

"Ladies, your rooms will be separate from the men's dorms, which are closer to mine, and I will have that section of the wing banned from the boys here at the school. I'm sure you understand why this precaution must be taken," she directed at Rosalie and I, considering I'm sure, that Alice already knew the rules and the how's and why's.

"Now," she clapped her delicate hands for emphasis, "I'll have your luggage taken to your rooms. Why don't you go investigate the campus? Get to know a few people…we'll see each other again when we meet for dinner in the dining hall. Off you go, now!" She shooed us away and with a light snap, her door shut, leaving eight strangers together in the hallway.

"So…" Alec started, walking toward an open venue in the grand corridor. I inspected the security cameras, watching them revolve up and down, up and down in a repeating pattern.

"This is the 'rec' room. Mostly just movies and such. We only go in there when it's snowing, which is almost everyday, so it's kind of packed."

We squeezed our way into the 'room'. It looked more like a suit in a hotel. Huge, plush couches were set around the place, movies on wooden shelves gleamed all along the walls, and games consoles for every game imaginable were set up along the huge flat screen TV. My jaw dropped, and I found myself situated next to Edward beside one of couches, up against a free space of wall.

Talk about tension. I could feel it radiating off of him in waves.

The movie, I noticed was one that I didn't particularly want to watch, considering I had walked away from it four days ago.

Vince Vaughn and his girlfriend were dancing, as well as his other family members. The camera panned out as a Hawaiian themed song strummed lightly in the background. There, on a tree branch so gallantly and coincidentally placed in front of the window was a birdhouse, obviously handmade.

The camera continued zooming out, just as a beautiful blue jay flew in and gracefully sat upon the little construction, opening its mouth to chirp.

I inclined my head to the left a bit, trying to see better. Instead, I accidentally hit Edward's chest. Blushing furiously, I moved in the opposite direction, looking away.

"Sorry," I muttered, trying to scoot further away from him.

Instead, I felt his hand brush mine with the gentlest of touches, my head snapping back to gaze into those liquid emerald eyes.

"Sorry," he murmured, his mouth hardly moving. He didn't look sorry, and he definitely didn't look away.

Chirp-chirp had come back.

* * *

The thank yous--

_Oy With The Poodles Already!, Edwardspetwolf, twilight1192, ...me., twilight3, I-Wish-For-Wings, Meepisms, vb-queen-18, SingerOfHeartSongs, starcrossedluvers, SoCalGurl101, xx iscii, iluvmybackpack, iheartEdwardCullen0407, Sam Eve, ALittleMind, Girly-Girl137, twinklegal-19, heartsxlie429, pokerfacelolx0x0, pretxelawu, AlwaysAround888, e13, twinkle-gal, winterQueen, Twilightaddiction128, bitemeplease235, xTwilightForeverx, THE silVeR , Diana Holland, aprilxu2222, SaveTheWolvesOfLaPush, nicky-root, CullenGirlsForever3, FRK921, rocky937,__ iamdarcie, and..._

_LilBrown: _Eesh. I thought you were going to rip my head off and throw it in the fire! XD I think you gave me one of the longest, most opinionated reviews yet. Lawls.

_AmyCullchamp: _I...love...you, too? XD Lol. Nawh, umm...thanks for all of the great reviews. And...please don't stalk me. That would be unpleasant. -shifty eyes- -gulp- :P

_Pingpong: _You made me laugh so hard with your scenario of my plot. XD Lawls. Giant dodgeballs with 'Lust' written in sharpie and being thrown around? XD Very funny, fer sher. (Little secret: We're BOTH so Team Edward it's not even funny. :P) -That just gave you a hint, folks, use it!

_jules :)))))): _Wow. Umm...that was an ecstatic review, with the caps lock on and everything...ummm...thanks? XD

Forty. Reviews.

I think I just died and went to Heaven with Edward. No one better bring me back.

If you want to be up there, you know what to do. (:

* * *


	11. Redthorne

I know, I know. But, hey, I'm here now, and we can get this show on the road. (:  
So, these last few weeks have been hard for me, but I want to personally thank every single one of you who has tried to comfort me through this period of time in my life. Thanks so much, guys! Secondly, this chapter is short, if you haven't already noticed. Here's how this is going to go from now on: short chapters, but frequent updates, OR longer chapters, but less frequent updates. You choose.

Thanks for all your reviews. As you know, I usually post who my reviewers were, but there were so many I just didn't have the time!  
Also, if you can't review this chapter because I took down the AN, just make an anonymous with your real penname, and I'll try to write you a response.

Hope you enjoy, and don't totally hate me for keeping this so long.

* * *

Chapter 11

If you've never been in a place that only houses one gender, you're lucky. To me, and I'm sure to Rose, too (although, she would have liked the attention a lot more than me), every pair of eyes in the room seemed riveted on our positions as the men became aware of the opposite sex standing in the back corner.

Luckily, for me, most were far too intrigued by Rosalie's beauty and her 'back-off-or-I'll-snap-your-neck-in-one-twist' stance that I was able to stand quietly by Emmett as the guide, Alec, answered the dozens of questions that the boys were throwing at him.

"Come on, Bella, let's get some rest," Rosalie said quietly, tugging on my arm lightly. It was then that I finally realized that the room had cleared out some. A few boys still remained, too desperate for our attention to leave just yet, but it was only one guy that I was thinking about as Rose led the way to our dorm rooms near Esme's office.

Edward hadn't spoken to me after that one little "Sorry"; as soon as the movie was over he had made his way over to the door, looked back at me once, and left.

Although I shouldn't have expected a different reaction from him, I still felt like I was a used washcloth. No longer useful for the kitchen, so they throw it out and get a new one. Of course, that didn't mean that Edward had a girlfriend, but it was just speculation.

Some part of me wondered how deep my feelings had gotten with Edward. We'd only known each other for a few months, but that didn't make me think that I was mistaken in liking him so much.

No, I wasn't in love with Edward Cullen. But I was positive that I was getting there.

--

The annoying bleeping sound just wouldn't go away. However, my arm reflexively swung out and collided with something _very _different than my new alarm clock that seemed to already have taken a disliking to me.

Opening my eyes, I found my hand clasped around a tall male's shoulder, their face hidden by the light streaming from the windows towards my stinging eyes.

Taking my hand back, I rubbed my palms over my face once before looking up and finding an amused Jasper shaking his head, a slight smile on his lips. I groaned, realizing that I would have to get up early today; Alice had promised to personally see to it that I looked amazingly beautiful for the formal tonight.

That's right: I was being forced to go to a dance. And not by Alice, mind you; by Carlisle.

I made a face, grimacing into my pillow as Jasper turned on the lights and started speaking.

"You know, sometimes I wonder about you. Aren't girls supposed to _like_ shopping?" he mused.

"Mmf," I grumbled.

He laughed.

"You'd better get up before Alice comes in. That girl seems like she's always on a sugar high."

I lifted my head to glare at him, but he was already leaving the room, shaking his head with an odd smile plastered onto his face. Ever since we had been here, he'd always acted so casual around the other operatives, especially Alice. It made me wonder, but I never questioned it. If there was something going on between them, I didn't want to know about it until after the mission was completed.

Struggling out of the tangle of bed sheets, I walked toward Rose's bed and reached out a hand to wake her. She must have been buried beneath a ton of blankets, because the lump in her bed was huge.

"Rose? Come on. Alice is going to take us shopping for the formal tonight and I know you don't think you have anything decent to wear," I thought out loud, pushing the mass beneath the covers.

It moved, and a very un-Rose-like groan came from underneath.

"Rose?" My eyebrows pulled together, wondering if she was sick or hurt.

Reaching a hand out, I pulled the covers off of her, only to find…well, not only her, but Emmett McCarty, snuggled into her side with her arm thrown over his face.

My surprise level went up instantly, but I couldn't help giggle at how ridiculous they looked. I was only glad that I didn't wake up during the night; if they were doing something, I certainly didn't want to be awake to hear it.

"Rosalie Hale!" I giggled out, kicking the bed for emphases.

She shot up, one hand going to her head, the other flying out to smack me, but I dodged the bullet.

"What?" she asked, looking rumpled and confused until she took notice of the lump of man-rock lying beside her. He was oblivious to the commotion around him, snoring lightly with his black curls in a tangled mop on top of his head.

"Oh." Rosalie blushed, which, in effect was entertaining; nothing anyone did or said could ever make Rosalie Hale blush. The color of her cheeks was redder than mine at worst, if that was even possible. Carefully, she clamored out of the bed and looked nervously at me.

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for her explanation.

"Okay. So I think he's a hunk and kind of like screw—"

"All right!" I cut in, veering away from the subject that she was going towards. "I get it. But if Carlisle finds out, he's going to have a cow. A rather large one that will probably run you over and get you fired," I warned.

"Yeah, I know," Rose sighed.

"Well, we should probably get him out of here. Everyone's already up and Jasper said that Alice should be down in a few, so we'd better be ready when she gets here."

Rosalie nodded and we got to work.

I tried not to laugh when Rose kicked Emmett out of the room in his pajamas, looking like a lost puppy dog with his pout, but effectively failed, earning myself a glare from both Rosalie and Emmett, who seemed to have synchronized the move.

I took my toiletries with me to the bathroom near Esme's office, the only one available for the girls staying here.

Once I got in the shower, I couldn't help thinking about the dance tonight. It was being held at the Redthorne's sister school, about three or four miles away on almost the exact same size estate. The girls there were just like the boys here: cynical and smart. Apparently, Tanya, the girl whom I'd talked to on Edward's phone, went there as a senior.

Thinking about Edward, my mind drew up scenarios of the few chances I'd had to see him since the rec room incident. For the most part our schedules didn't match up except for one or two classes. Even then, the teachers always sat me in the front of the room, away from the rest of the boys so as to not create tension about, 'who got to sit next to the girl'.

By the time I had completely thought through my days at Redthorne, the cold water had run out and I was standing there freezing. Turning off the water, I dried myself and put on the clothes that I knew Alice would approve of; she wouldn't go out with me looking like, in her words, "a crazy beautiful girl with absolutely no fashion sense."

The hallways were crowded with rowdy boys, talking about the evening to come. Most were making lewd gestures and discussing which girl in the neighboring school had the best butt. The same was probably happening over at the girls' school, only a lot less testosterone filled.

Alice was waiting for me, tapping her tiny foot impatiently with her arms crossed in front of her as I put my stuff away and followed her outside. Esme had allowed us time to go to the extravagant mall in town so that we might look presentable at the biggest event of the year. She even gave Alice an unlimited credit card, which I'm sure she took just as quickly as she took Esme's offer.

Girls like Alice were just too indestructible.

--

The mall was crowded, Rosalie, Alice and I clinging to each other as the hordes of shoppers pushed against us, trying to make way in the tiny area. After a few moments of unheard calls and shuffling, I stopped, huffing in displeasure.

"Bella—" Alice started, but I cut her off.

"Alice, I'm really not in the mood to keep getting shoved around like a shopping bag all day," I complained, knowing that we had already been to a few stores and, according to both of them, hadn't found 'The One' yet.

"One more store. Please. I know we'll find them in there!" she exclaimed in glee, her tiny face lighting up in excitement.

Of course, these preposterous theories had been occurring all day, and, although we hadn't found the supposed dresses, we had found something in each store that Alice was sure would match them.

I sighed. Clapping her hands, Rosalie pulled on my arm to usher me into a large, well-lit room, littered with gown upon gown, hanging on gleaming racks.

Petrified would have described my first impression.

Not noticing my stance, Alice marched (and when Alice marches, she _really _makes a show) up to the clientele, demanding the best that they had. At first, it looked like the lady was going to deny her, but the moment she slapped down that sparkly gold card, the woman was sold.

"This way, ladies," she suggested, her heels clacking on the tile as she perused the different styles and fluff among the unknown.

An hour later, Rosalie had her dress. Of course, in pure Rose fashion, it was a deep, luscious red, made of fine satin and floating down to just above her mid-thigh. With her hair up, she looked stunning, a Barbie; flawless.

Next was Alice, who, magically, appeared out of the dressing room wearing one of the most adorable gowns I had ever seen on someone so small. Strapless and a floral pink, the dress made her fine skin glow, her already beautiful face even more so. The little bow in the back only served typical Alice fashion, showing off her playful side when we tried to pull at it.

It was supposed to be my turn when Carlisle called. I wasn't looking for anything in particular—I wasn't one to wear frilly things, usually—while both my friends went scattering about, trying to hunt down The One for me. The cell-phone he had lent me before I went away from the Academy ringing shrilly, interrupting my peaceful musings of fluffy pillows and sleep.

"Hello?" I answered a little unsurely.

"Isabella," Carlisle's voice came through, crackly, "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt any plans that you had, but this is urgent."

It _sounded _urgent.

"What's the matter?" I asked, immediately alert.

"We have conformation that Edward has an antidote to the cure. The opposite, if you will." He sounded irritated, and rightly so, I would imagine. Having his son interfere with matters like this could not be easy on an aging man (not that he looked it).

"So…what are you saying Carlisle?" I tried to make a joke, "Do you want me to knock your son out, ship him to Timbuktu and steal the antidote from him?"

Silence on the other end made my smile disappear.

"Something like that," he mused, quiet.

"Carlisle, you can't be serious. He's your son! On top of that, he's probably already given this to Tanyesha or Tanyatta," I tried to argue, rightly pissed off now.

"Who is Tanyatta?"

"I don't know. I stole his cell phone and she was calling him, saying something about how they needed Edward to get the cure fast."

"And you didn't bother telling me this?"

"Well," I grumbled, hardly seeing the point. "She didn't sound like any big deal. Just another agent, probably."

I could almost hear his head shaking, a sigh on the other line confirming this. "I need you to go undercover, tonight."

Alice and Rosalie's shrill laughs drifted toward me, and before I knew it, that damned little pixie was standing before me, smiling serenely.

"We found it!" she giggled, hardly containing her joy.

"Where?" I said into the mouthpiece, smiling and holding up one finger to let her know I'd be a minute. She pouted, giving me a look that clearly said I was going to try it on, whether I liked it or not.

"It's already been set up," I could hear him saying, keys tapping in the background as he undoubtedly made the connections he needed to in order to make sure that I could complete my assignment.

"My son is apparently attending a dance this evening with a group of boys who rented a limousine to enter in style," the laughter in his voice was back. "You'll be filling in for the driver."

I could feel my eyes widen, and I really thought that I might have feinted, were it not for the rack of clothes I was holding on to.

"_What?_"

"I told you," he answered calmly. "I can't let them get the cure. If they find out what it's for, America could have one serious Government Issue on their hands. I trust you, Bella. Good luck."

Click.

Wordlessly, Alice impatiently dragged me back to the dressing room, forcing me into the gown.

--

It was eight o'clock sharp, and I was beginning to get mad. Carlisle had told me the boys scheduled their ride for seven thirty, and they hadn't even come out of the mansion yet. And men say women take a long time to get ready.

The wind blew lightly, the sun having already set, making the nighttime air cooler against my skin. It felt nice, especially since the days had been somewhat mild here, bringing about moodiness with the weather.

The gates were closed, since I wasn't allowed inside, and couples strolled along the sidewalk, pacing me occasionally and glancing at the mysterious school. Watching them, their easy romance, and in the old couples, love, I longed for it. For one moment, I let myself be pitied, wanting a normal life, one in which I could love without restraint and without precautions. Where my guy could give me a rose without it being a bomb, or even a detonating device. High school sucks.

Finally, boys started pouring out in massive groups, heading to each of their parked cars or awaiting rides respectively, and a certain bronze-haired boy, whom I'd noticed almost immediately, quickened his pace to reach the limo.

He wouldn't know it was me, of course, since I was in a mask. The stretchy fabric clung to my skin, practically breathing and living on it, one of the most intelligent things I had seen in ages. Sent by the big man at school, he included a make-up kit that would help the mask look more real, and a tux that was actually kind of comfortable. It beat wearing dresses.

Speaking of, Rose and Alice would be getting into their own cars at the moment, heading over to the other school where the dance was being held. It was hard not to miss being there, but I had a job to do.

"Good evening," he said pleasantly, stopping in front of the back door as I reached out with a gloved hand to open it for him. The smooth black of the car reflected his perfection.

Gelled hair, ruffled tux and tie, he looked every bit as handsome and God-like as he had that night at the ball. It felt like we were doing this all over again, but from very different standing-points.

"Hello," I replied gruffly, wincing when my 'man-voice' didn't sound all too convincing. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at me before his expression smoothed and he slid into the car with ease, Alec and the other boys arriving at the same time.

"Here we go!" they whooped, excited for the night to come.

After shutting the door, I rounded to the driver's seat and starting the limo, thought to myself: here we go.

* * *

I didn't want to stop it here, but Edward made me. Blame him. Or...you know...get mad and make me do something with him in future chapters by reviewing your ideas and thoughts. ((:


	12. Sacrifice

* * *

Okay. So, it's summer, I finished frosh year, and I'm back on track, better than before. Okay? Okay. Yay! You can celebrate, because I'm going to try my best to start having regular updates every Saturday to Sunday. Does that sound good for everyone?

Now, first off, I'm warning you that this is not my best work. I was in a very mellow mood and that's reflected here. Also, I have a feeling a lot of you will be outraged with the ending, so don't come at me with the volturi, alright?! Thank you. (:

Secondly, I know I didn't have a song or quote last chapter, but I don't feel like going back and adding it, but there will definitely be one here. (((: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and thanks for being so supportive, guys. I never could've gotten back on my feet without your help.

So here's chapter 12, and hopefully you won't hate me by the end of it. Ciao!

* * *

_"Hope is the thing with feathers  
That perches in the soul  
And sings the tune  
Without the words,  
and never stops at all."_

_-Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)_

_._

_Soundtrack: (Seventeen Ain't So Sweet; Red Jumpsuit Apparatus)._

* * *

Chapter 12

It didn't take long for me to drive them to the sister school, a tasteful piece of architecture situation on the other side of the city. Away from all of the noise and commotion, the authorities (most likely women) had dressed the building up to its finest.

Turning into the drive where valets awaited to pick up the several cars being used for the night, the sliding glass window behind my head slid down, emitting excited yelling from the back seat as one boy spoke out. "Sir, if you could just drop us off at the walkway and be back around one, that would be great."

Nodding my head, I replied, "Very good, sir."

It was cliché to its most awful sense, but if this is what I had to do in order to make sure that Edward didn't get his hands on the cure, then I'd do it. To think that in a matter of minutes I would have to ransack his room back at the academy made me beyond nervous and willing to run from the limousine. Carlisle probably intended on killing me if I thought anything of it.

The last person out of the limo was Alec, but I could feel Edward's harsh glare upon my face as I tried not to glance at him. He was staring, trying to isolate the suspicions that he was undoubtedly harboring and having no luck. Pulling away, I watched as one of the boys tugged his arm and dragged him inside.

Once the grand, palace-like boarding school was out of sight, I exhaled a breath that I had been holding since I stepped into the driver's seat. Peeling the mask off of my face, I felt like I was able to breathe in what appeared to be centuries and started dialing immediately on the cell phone Carlisle had given me.

"Bella?"

"Carlisle."

"I suspect that the agent has been dropped off already?"

I rolled my eyes at his nonplus attitude toward his only son. "Sure, sure. Are you already in his room?"

Carlisle had flown in from Washington due to the tiny blimp in his otherwise flawless plan. Esme would be staying at Redthorne, monitoring the remaining boys and their activities; it never occurred to him that I wouldn't be allowed near any of them for the night. It was partially the reason why Esme had ushered Alice into forcing me along for the ride.

And of course I wouldn't be caught dead in the boys' dormitories. If she found me there, not to mention in Edward's room (I was pretty sure she had an idea about a few of us), things could get ugly. Not that they hadn't already; I was in a tux for God's sake!

"Yes. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary…tidy, just like his old man." A strained chuckle from Carlisle's end. There was no doubt in my mind that he was just as saddened by his condition as his former wife had been. Surely he missed them, wanted to be with them while he scoured his son's room for clues to this complicated puzzle, but because insinuating circumstances, he could not.

"Nothing here," he finally sighed as I pulled into a McDonald's parking lot. Curious bystanders tried to see inside, perhaps hoping some celebrity would pop up.

"Alright. Should I head back to the dance?"

"It's relatively early…you should take a break, Bella. You've done well this week and I feel bad for ruining your high school experience as it is." Always taking the blame for everything; that was Carlisle.

"I'll call you when I get in, and then Rosalie and I will be home before you know it."

"That's fi—" he started to say, but I could distinctly hear a female voice calling out to him. Heart racing, I wondered if he had been caught. Muffled curses and a few moments later I heard Esme's voice.

"Carlisle? What are you doing—" _End Call._

Wondering how Carlisle was going to get himself out of this situation, I sat back in the leather seat, eyes closing as I pictured Edward in all his glory. The sad thing was that even though I felt such a strong pull toward him, it all felt physical. Sure, we'd had a few bonding moments that held us together for that brief amount of time, but that all seemed like it was years away, just out of my reach. The grasp that I seemed to have on reality was fading with every senile and adventurous mission I went on with Rosalie, my sense of direction constantly off.

With Edward, though, he always seemed to know what he was doing. Always so sure of himself, being the one who led me astray or down the right road. My eyebrows scrunched together. When someone is so near perfection, it was hard not to confuse yourself on a daily basis. I already did that before I met him.

Hours later, I lifted one weary eyelid to gaze at the clock on the dashboard and jerked upright. I must've fallen asleep sometime in my musings because I was going to have to speed if I was to make it back to the guys on time. Crap.

The highway was dark, only lit by the occasional car that happened to be on the road at this time of night so far outside the city. The moon was almost full, a sliver scarcely taken off one end as it shone down on the car, reflecting everything within a few feet.

Sighing, I thought back again to when things were simpler. Before James became a pest that I had to constantly worry about, before my heart was snatched by Edward's cautious hands, and before Carlisle had called me into his office. When things were up and down and right and wrong with no in between.

The radio host was speaking and he sounded tired. One hand reached out to turn the knob, cranking the volume.

"…and tonight a few high school students are having a pretty awesome time."

"Yeah, right?" That was the female co-host. "We've gotten a number of calls from them, and they seem pretty riled up."

I rolled my eyes, tapped my fingers on the wheel.

"One special fellow, though, wants to give a shout out to a girl he thinks he's hurt." Typical. "Hope she forgives him. I know I would," she snickered, the male host chiming in: "Well, here it is folks. Enjoy your evening and this is k97.3."

The beginnings of a sappy love song, something that wasn't really my style began to play. Normally, this would have made for an aw-worthy moment, hoping that the girl really did forgive this guy. But right now, I was not in the mood to forgive anyone or hope that some 'tragic' romance went the right way; because, in all honesty, fairy-tale endings just weren't possible.

By the time I pulled up to the curb, most of the teenagers had scattered to their cars or were just exiting the building, many of the girls clinging to their boyfriends or batting their lashes seductively at the other guys. It was a sight to behold, and I wasn't exactly morose at the fact that I had missed this particular dance. I hated dancing, and from the looks of this crowd, it wouldn't have been that great anyways.

Alec was leading them and I could vaguely spot Edward in the back with a beautiful blond on his arm, her smile genuine and her quiet laughter seemingly entrancing a few of the nearby men. Obviously she was top of the food-chain, and that bothered me a little. Unsettling as it was, I patted the mask near my neck to make sure that it was securely in place.

The door opened and I glanced into the rear view mirror briefly, Alec's eyes flickering to mine.  
"Hey, thanks for waiting up. Back to the place, old chap," he laughed, pulling a wad of cash out of his pocket. Great, I get paid tonight, too. What an adventure.

My cell phone started vibrating and I glanced down at the caller-ID. _Alice._ I couldn't very well talk to her right now, not with Edward disentangling himself from the blond and putting one foot into the limo. Silencing the ring, I stuffed it back into my pocket and leaned back into the seat, revving the engine.

"I'll talk to you later," he was promising.

"Soon," she responded with a blinding grin, attempting to reach forward for a kiss. I held my breath, my heart thundering so loud I was sure he would be able to detect it.

He leaned forward, pecking her cheek. She looked disappointed, and rightly so, but otherwise happy when he extended his hand and then climbed into the car. After he slammed the door, I quickly pulled away from the curb, leaving the beautiful blond girl in my dust.

Another glance back from the sliding glass told me that the guys were questioning Edward about her. They had neglected to roll up the window, but they probably presumed that I was just some old guy who wouldn't care. Yeah, right.

"Chelsea? Really? Whoa, man, someone's got game!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "We're just friends. Honest."

Smug in that confidence, he turned his eyes to mine and I blushed underneath the mask, looking away. The road was long and seemed to stretch endlessly, but we arrived in no time and the other guys followed suit to head out of the car. Alec motioned for me to roll down the window, and I guessed everyone had gotten out.

"Here, man, thanks." He passed over a bundled up wad of money.

Smiling tightly, I returned the sentiment. "Anytime, bro." He laughed at me. Old geezer trying to be young. Sigh.

Leaning back in the seat, I let out another long breath and peeled the mask back off for the last time, shaking my hair out of the cap and loosening the tie around my neck. Not that I had done that much tonight, but really, a girl's got to live, and this surely wasn't it.

A cough from the back seat scared the hell out of me, and I knew I'd been caught.

He'd never gotten out of the car. I had been so preoccupied with my own thoughts that I hadn't checked to make sure that he had gone inside with his friends, drunk on tonight's festivities. And he stared at me, a smug and knowing look plastered onto his face.

Well, if I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly. "Where to, sir?" I asked pleasantly.

The Plexiglas area behind my head wasn't that small. It was big enough to pull a full grown German shepherd through, like the old-time cars from 1912. Although this was a limo, no one ever said that it was modernized. He leaned forward, resting his head on his folded arms through the window as he stared at me in the mirror.

"To the stars," he whispered, and only then did I realize how close he was to my ear. My breathing accelerated and he reached carefully through the space between us to pull me back. Awkward as it was, he succeeded in getting me back there, finally seeing me for what felt like the first time in ages.

We hadn't spoken; we hadn't been able to. With him constantly on my tail and always on the lookout for Rosalie and Emmett and Alice, he hadn't exactly been the epitome of a somewhat-secret-boyfriend. Not to mention the fact that he also left me high and dry.

I reached up my hand, hardly believing that any of this was real. It was moving too fast for my mind to comprehend, and although I never wanted it to stop, I couldn't help but to question it. His face was as smooth and flawless as I remembered, his lips parting as soon as I touched him. Beautiful, yet harsh, green eyes warmed when I looked over his features, his smile wrinkling the area around those green pools. His smile…one end of his lips pulled up more than the other; crooked. Perfect.

Besides the complete silence and the pounding of my heart inside my chest, he seemed calm. At peace. My confusion grew, but not the hatred that some figured I should have toward him. Never.

"I knew those beautiful eyes couldn't belong to a man," he chuckled, his breath fanning over my face as his thumb brushed over my cheekbones.

"I—" I couldn't finish. I swallowed.

His eyes softened and looked sad. "I know. I'm sorry." He kissed me lightly, lips barely brushing against my own. I sighed as my heart went accelerating again, his sad look deepening, no matter how much I wished to erase it with my mind.

His eyes searched mine. "We can't be together. But I'm tired of staying away from you."

I didn't say anything. He continued, eyes squinting as he looked away from me. "Bella…this can't happen."

Gulping, my voice came out raspy. "So what are we going to do?"

Edward shrugged, glancing back at me. "Figure it out, I guess." Then he smiled, a heartbreaking smile that I knew was meant only for me.

Leaning forward again, he pressed his lips gingerly to mine, just before the chaos started.

First of all, I was already out of it. My world seemed so melancholy already that this didn't seem very real at all. Maybe in a dream this would be happening, maybe this was all some fantasy that I had conjured up because it all happened too fast and too solemnly to be real. But it was, and James was definitely standing there, ripping Edward out of my arms with a gun pointed at my head.

Panic overtook my brain and I couldn't remember any of the training that I had been taught to get me out of this situation. Edward was struggling, kicking at the men that held him against his will, shouting profanities.

"Oh, look,"—James cocked his head to the side as if thoroughly intrigued by something—"two little birdies sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N—" He didn't finish because I was already lunging at him, reaching for the gun with a sort of banshee-cry.

But James was too fast. "James! Don't you fucking touch one hair on her—" Edward was snarling, a feral sound ripping out of his chest. The man holding him smashed the gun to his head, drawing blood.

I cried out. "Don't hurt him!"

James yanked me up by my hair, a pocket knife drawing against my throat as he surveyed the scene before him. "Pretty, pretty, Bella. Don't do anything too hasty. We need your little boy-toy here for some experiments, and unfortunately for you, you're coming along. We can't have any witnesses now, can we?"

The blade was digging into my skin and Edward had recovered enough to glare at James in the most hateful way he could manage, his eyes flickering to me in panic and pain, knowing he could do nothing. I smelled blood and my eyes rolled back into my head briefly.

"Answer me," James hissed in my ear, yanking harder against my scalp.

I didn't know I was crying until I tasted the salty tears in my mouth and said, "no," a whisper in the cold night. No one was here to help me this time, no one was here to tell me what to do. And I had screwed up in a way that not only could Carlisle not save me from, but that might get myself and Edward killed.

My heart squeezed painfully at the thought.

"Let her go, Rogue," Edward spat out, blood trailing from his forehead and over his eye. He'd never looked so…menacing in all the time that I had seen and known him. I cowered away from both of them.

"No can do, Eddie-boy," James sung, pulling the knife away from me and pressing a chaste kiss to my forehead. Edward's throat flexed, anger and rage pulling at him from the inside before me.

"Don't touch her," he growled lowly, but loud enough for James to hear.

He laughed maniacally. "All in good time, all in good time. You mustn't put a damper on my fun now, eh?"

I'd barely registered his words and was screaming and kicking against the man that held me when a cloth was placed over my face. I tried not to breath but I needed oxygen, and Edward was shouting, screaming and fighting and I couldn't think….

--

It was cold. The only coherent thing that would make its way out of my brain at first was that thought. Cold, so freaking cold that my teeth chattered together like ice cubes and the lights beaming overhead could hardly do anything to retain my body heat.

Blinking rapidly as I pulled my head forward, neck soar, I knew that I was in a containment room. Stretched before me was a glass wall and I could see another figure on the other side, bound and gagged much as I was. A door to my right had no knob on my side of the wall and no way to open it from inside. No vents, no ceiling fans or other walls to climb on. Utterly helpless, I hung my head, waiting for my capturers to appear.

--

I woke again later, though I had no idea how much time had passed. The door slammed as he walked toward me, stealthily, much like a cat and the way he watched me was familiar. Like the night of the ball where Edward and I had danced. Where I had first met the despicable James Rogue. And he wasn't alone, either; no, behind him was someone I recognized, someone that I had no clue was a threat; and that made it much, much worse.

Sensing my amazement and most likely fear, he grinned at me, waving. "Hey, Bella. Long time no see."

Chance. God, how could I have been so stupid? But mentally berating myself for not looking further into him wasn't helping my situation and I looked away from both of them.

"Aw, come on, Bella. Don't be so mean." James tried to turn my face, his fingers on my chin, but I refused to budge. He sighed, and pushed harder; I relented. His cold grey eyes stared me down, having no sympathy or remorse for me. For anyone. He was a heartless bastard, and I saw that now. Saw why Edward was so determined to keep me away from him.

"You're just in time for the show," he smiled, gesturing to the body on the other side of the glass. He was waking, groaning and I could hear everything that was happening on the other side. Edward.

"James!" He was yelling. "Goddammit get your ass—" Another man walked in, carrying a tray with what looked like a syringe and tubes of something that looked vaguely familiar. Fear pulsed through my veins.

"What are you doing to him?!" I screeched and Edward's head jerked toward my voice.

"Bella?" he questioned.

"What are you going to do to him?!" I was crying again and the monster before me smirked, strolling away from me as he flicked my head from his hands. He stood before the glass, nodded his head at the man on the other side as he loaded the syringe with a clear fluid that glistened under the bright white lights.

I struggled against my chair. Fell sideways in an attempt to unbind my hands that seemed to be losing feeling because they were roped together so tightly. I screamed. Screamed for Edward, for someone to hear me because that man was holding Edward down as he shouted, piercing the skin just above his heart and inserting the liquid.

He was still yelling, but I could tell when something changed. His screaming went from outraged and unjustified to fear, something primal and scared that never before had I heard from him.

Chance looked grim, but somewhat happy. He made me sick. James shrugged, looking down at me on the floor as if he found women there on occasion. "Edward's a part of something totally new, Bella. You should be proud. You'll be the first to see him when he's better."

Somehow, I doubted that this would be a good thing.

Realizing that I was whimpering, I tried again to free my hands unsuccessfully. I cried. I begged. James strode from the room.


	13. Guides

Here we are again. (:

Now, firstly, I just want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed. I know how long you guys had to wait to get a chapter out of me, and I'm glad that you stuck with me. I'm kind of disappointed, though, by the lack of reviews. ))): Reviews make an author happy, you guys know that.

Second, this chapter might be a bit confusing. I'll try to answer any questions in reviews, but most will probably be answered in the next chapter. Just stay with me and we'll get through this tough time. (:

Thirdly, a lot of you want the whole 'I love you, Bella/and or Edward' moment to come. It's coming. Slowly. Sorry, but I think real love works differently when both of them are HUMAN, or, at least, were human. But I wasn't supposed to tell you that. Aha.

Oh, and you might want to know this for this chapter: Red tulips may symbolize resurrection and determination. On top of that, they signify perfect or undying love.

Enjoy, and leave a review!

* * *

_"Humans have a knack for choosing precisely the things that are the worst for them."_

_-Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore  
(Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)_

_._

_Soundtrack: (All My Loving; The Beatles)._

_

* * *

_Chapter 13

**_One Year Later_**

"Bella," he started, leaning across his clipboard to try and gain my attention, "I know how difficult this must be for you. But I need you to _attempt_ to gain some closure from all of this."

My face remained hard. He sighed, looking back down at his paper and scribbled something that no doubt meant I wasn't cooperating or progressing. Weren't Guidance Counselors supposed to help you? Right now, I wasn't so sure.

Dr. Richards clapped his hands together, a look of determination set upon his elderly features. "Alright. How about this: we do an exercise and see where it takes us. Hmm?" Looking so hopeful, I had no other choice but to nod curtly, if only to make him happier.

Grinning despite himself, he glanced down and back up, then proceeded to make himself comfortable in the mahogany arm chair.

"Okay, so, let's start with something simple. Is that fine with you?"

Obviously. "Sure."

He nodded. "Right." I wasn't completely unaware of the fact that he looked a bit buzzed. No doubt he'd been drinking a bit before coming in to join me. After several months of trying to counsel some nut case like me, I was pretty sure that he'd had just about enough. But still, he plowed on. "Edward was your boyfriend; true or false?"

It was a natural enough reaction: I stiffened at the sound of his name. Even after all those months being back, I hadn't gotten over what had happened when…_he _had taken us…captive. Flinching away from the question, I looked out the window before saying quietly, "False."

This seemed to disturb Richards, but he shook his head and continued onto the next one. "But you two were obviously very close; true or false?"

"_Bella, Bella." He seemed taunting, showing his teeth like a set of fangs. "Oh, God, please come here, Bella." _

"True."

"Good." Richards nodded his head and wrote something illegible down. Flipping over the yellow lined paper, he scribbled more, finally stopping a quarter of the way along. His hair fell in greasy waves toward the back of his head. I focused intensely on that.

_The glass shook as he pounded his fists against it. An enraged roar ripped through him as he scratched and grappled, trying desperately to get through the wall to me. Red-rimmed eyes watched from behind the long lashes I'd been so accustomed to._

"_You smell so _good_, Bella," he groaned, hands sliding down the pane. _

_I whimpered, pressing myself against the concrete. "Edward?"_

Someone knocked on the door. Richards, who had just been about to talk, closed his mouth solemnly and got up to see who it was. After a few hushed voices, he returned to his chair. My curiosity got the better of me, and for what seemed like the first time in forever, I was the one who asked a direct question. "Who was that?"

Looking up in surprise, but trying and failing to hide it, Richards shrugged his shoulders. "Just the secretary telling me one of my appointments today was cancelled."

"Oh."

"Now, where were we?" It must have been a rhetorical question because he was speaking over himself; something I didn't think was possible.

"You were in the car with him when it crashed. Where were you two going?" Good question. Where were we going?

"_James, I don't think it's a good idea. Look at him! He's bloodthirsty! Maybe we should chuck an animal into the room or something—"_

"_No. We need to see the extent of his condition. If it weren't for that damn Carlisle, we'd already know. But here we are again, trying to learn about this virus, had it not been for his stupidity." He looked down at me. "Send Henry in. I think Bella should educate herself today."_

"That's not a true or false question." I frowned. He wasn't going to play games with me; that much I would make sure of. He rocked forward in his chair, adjusting his pants, and then looked up sheepishly.

"Fine then. You managed to escape relatively unscathed because Edward did something to protect you; true or false?"

"_What's wrong with me?" Edward's panicked pleas fled through the room. I pressed my hands harder against my ears. "Bella, what did they do to me?" _

_I hiccupped through my tears._

_Edward screeched. "What the hell is in my head?! Get it out! Get it out! Get it the fuck out!"_

"True." My head ached, pulling at the strings in my heart. This couldn't be good for my health.

The thing about Counselors was that they were programmed to do certain things in certain situations. If you burst out crying, they handed you a tissue and then calmly asked what was wrong. And even though you didn't really want to, you spilled your guts out because for some reason, their demeanor demands information. This is what Richards had been attempting to draw out of me, and failing every time. No matter if he was one of the best counselors on this side of the country, what had happened back in Chicago was nothing short of locked tightly away, in a drawer that not even I wanted to touch. A drawer that was rattling, the lock slowly starting to rust.

"One more question and then we'll be done for the day. Does that sound okay?" Annoying as it may be, they always have to ask to see if things are fine by you. Or maybe they're just trying to see if you're going to breakdown if they do something that's not exactly in their training.

Sighing, I nodded, vaguely considering just running from the room instead. My chances were pretty high of making it, I thought, watching Richards stretch a few muscles and move around a bit more. Old men, I recognized dryly.

"I want you to _really _answer this one. Just this once, Bella, please?" That darn puppy-dog look. He reminded me of Alice when he did that. The moment I thought it, I winced, remembering her chipper attitude and how she could always cheer me up no matter what crazy scheme she had planned.

"Fine." My syllables were limited these days.

Rejuvenated by my somewhat-agreeable tone, he seemed far more exuberant, leaning forward again as he tried to look me in the eye for about the millionth time.

"Bella," he said slowly (I was really starting to hate my name), "How do you feel? And, really, I'm not trying to be cliché, but…" He trailed off, leaving me the decision of whether or not I should answer.

How _did _I feel?

"_Bella, I'm sorry." He was crying. "I'm so sorry." It took me a moment to realize that he wasn't crying, and the sounds I was hearing were dry sobs. No water poured from the eyes staring at me from across the room. The still-hungry eyes._

_I focused on the grains of concrete underneath my hands, breathing slowly and deeply, trying not to faint. The blood covering the glass was starting to blacken, but the smell worsened._

My head still hurt. It hurt from lying to just about everyone except my enemies. How wrong was that? Ever since I'd gotten back, no one but James, now dead, knew the truth about what had happened during that long month locked in the basement of a government building. Sure, I'd been willing to let it all out, to tell everyone just exactly what Aro and Marcus and James had been up to. But seeing Carlisle's face in the hospital was enough to keep me quiet.

My heart hurt constantly. Like a consistent tug, it reminded me how badly I had fallen for Edward; for the one person that had seen through my agent façade and truly accepted the fragile girl beneath. And I hadn't even been able to tell him, because he was long gone, along with memories of our nights and battles together. It was distant for him, for some reason.

So how did I _feel_?

"I feel like sleeping."

I could see him opening his mouth to ask me _why _I felt that way, but I stood, cutting him off before he had the chance to rip me apart any further. It was a good thing these sessions had been narrowed down to once a week; I don't think I could have dealt with Richards every single day anymore.

"No," I said firmly, "I've done everything you asked me to do. I've told you everything that you've asked me to. Mr. Richards, I can imagine that you've never been through the same things that I have, and therefore, I think I deserve a little rest. I'm tired, and to be honest, I'd rather not see you again for a very long time."

My little soliloquy had shut him up, effectively giving me my escape. Jogging through the various doorways, the mental stress of repressing that month was starting to get to me. My hold was weakening on that drawer's lock.

_This woman strode toward me, cat-like, almost, and every bit as feminine. Her red hair stood out against the bleak surroundings, and those narrowed eyes bit into my flesh, promising searing pain if I tried anything. She was dressed elegantly for a place so undistinguished, and she wrinkled her pert little nose against the blood._

"_So much for control," she murmured, turning her head back to stare at me. As the time ticked on, she cocked her head to the side, sauntering forward and letting one single finger reach out to touch my cheek. Her eye color didn't escape my notice._

"_Soft. Too soft," she chuckled to herself, "Silly humans."_

"_Victoria, we need to leave. They're almost here." James paced anxiously, cutting her a careful glance._

_Her eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. "James, don't test me."_

I was running now, trying to get back to my dorm room. Fellow seniors who knew about me and the 'accident' side-stepped to get away from me. I didn't care. All I could think about was the pain in my chest and how shallow my breathing had become. It was like I was back in the cellar all over again. My mind couldn't block the stampeding images, the drawer finally letting loose everything that I had so carefully kept away. My head filled with pain, pain, pain.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

_Gunshots sounding quickly, one following the other. The Victoria woman flitted around the room, getting past James who had taken the brunt of the shots. Before I could even blink, she was out the door, heading down another hallway. James' eyes turned on me, surprise evident as he touched the blood on his chest. Falling forward on his knees, he clutched his wounds, survival instincts overpowering the promise of death. _

_My legs were too weak to stand, and I'd long given up hope. But as soon as I saw the familiar head of shaggy blond hair, the laugh lines on his face set in grim determination, I relaxed. _

"_Bella? Bella!" _

"_Get her to a hospital she's…"_

"…_pulse isn't steady…"_

My muscles protested, not willing to carry me any farther. Sitting myself on a nearby bench, I hunched over, holding my stomach. I dry-heaved, nothing coming up as my vision flickered, colors straining in red and black spots.

"Hey, Bella, are you okay?"

"Jacob?" I croaked, lifting my head just enough to see his familiar bagging jeans and dark skin. He kneeled down to look at me, concern etched across his features. "Do you need the nurse? You don't look so good."

I closed my eyes, shook my head.

_My eyes opened. Everything was a cleanly white, sterilized to the extreme. My heart rate spiked, panic taking over me as I imagined having been brought to another dungeon, another captive to someone so evil—_

"_Honey, calm down. You're okay," her soothing voice washed over me, making me turn my head to look. My mom had tears in her eyes. "Oh, God, Bella, we didn't think you'd recover." She sounded choked up._

"_Mom?" My voice didn't sound like my own: hoarse and dry, barely above a whisper. Aged. _

"_Yeah, sweetheart. You were knocked up pretty good," she laughed without humor, shaking her head as she glanced at the monitor beside my bed. Something was poking my arm…_

_A needle stuck out of my skin and I instantly closed my eyes, trying not to think of blood and things that would make me faint on my mom. She hadn't gotten older, it seemed, but the worry lines creasing her forehead were definitely signs that she wasn't any younger. Her hands smoothed my sticky hair. _

"_It's going to be okay. We're going to take you home, back to Florida. Don't worry about anything, Bella, I'll take care of it."_

--

Over the next few days, my fever became worse and worse, the nurse having to take up permanent residence in the room for a while. My memories of visitors were vague, but I knew that Jake stayed by my side most of the time. The nurse encouraged him to wear a mask like hers, but he refused, adamant that I was going to be fine and that he wouldn't catch anything. Through the haze, I knew that I had smiled, even if it was a tiny one.

They said it could have turned into pneumonia, but it never did. Eventually I cooled off, and I stopped puking, but no one really put a label on whatever I'd caught. The first day I really woke up, Jake was there again, the brown wolf he'd won me when we met situated on the bed beside me.

"Hey, sleepy-head." He was already flitting about, smoothing my hair and getting more ice for the cup on the small chest near my head. Holding my hand, he leaned forward and kissed my skin, making it feel warmer than it had in my fever. I smiled at the gesture, noticing how tired he looked.

"You look like you could use some sleep," I whispered and he shook his head.

"What if you need me?"

"What if you collapse on duty?" I mildly joked, turning my head so I could cough. The worry and concern was back. "I'm fine," I promised him, sighing as I leaned back into the multitude of pillows.

"You sure had a lot of visitors," he informed me, gesturing with his hand at the cards that were awaiting my viewing, along with the balloons and stuffed animals. Surprised, I attempted to sit up, but Jake pushed me back down. "No way," he scoffed.

Frowning, I glanced among the gifts, my gaze falling upon a single red tulip, sitting on the edge of the bed. I shifted my foot, trying to bring it closer. Sensing what I was trying to do, Jacob brought it to me, distaste clear on his face.

"Do you know who gave me this?" I twirled the flower between my fingers, feeling the softness of the petals with my fingertips. It was in full bloom, a deep, rich red color protruding smoothly from the center where its fragrance was still strong. A tiny piece of paper stuck out from the center and with careful motions, I plucked it out. Written in elegant handwriting, something I'd seen only once before, were three little words.

Three words that ripped my heart open.

Three words that made me bend over the side of the bed and puke my guts up.

Three words that echoed inside my head.

"_To the stars."_


End file.
